How To Order Beer In Spanish Bars And Restaurants: 16 Types Of Cerveza
Let’s talk about beer in Spanish, or as locals say it: cerveza.
How to order beer in Spanish? Simple!
Una cerveza, por favor! – One beer, please!
But is beer really that popular in these regions?
¡Claro que sí! (Of course in Spanish), while it’s true that wine has a long-standing tradition in Spanish-speaking regions, we can’t say that cerveza isn’t popular. Especially in Spain and some parts of South America.
We’re sure that if you travel to Spain, you’ll see people enjoying a caña (a small glass of draft beer) with tapas after work. (By the way, you can learn about Spanish food vocabulary, too.)
It’s super common to see friends hanging out at terrazas, sipping on cold beers and chatting.
So, it’s final time you learned how to order beer in Spanish. Spring Spanish (a project I co-founded) has a fantastic introduction to the world of Spanish bars:
And now, let’s hop over to other Spanish-speaking countries to learn more about beer in Spanish!
1. Beer in Spanish speaking regions
Beer is beer in every Spanish country, and the word for beer in Spanish doesn’t change:
Beer in Spanish = la cerveza
Now, if we hop over to Mexico, ¡uf!
Beer is practically the national drink there. They’ve got some world-famous brands like Corona and Dos Equis. Mexicans often enjoy their beer with lime and salt, and it’s a go-to drink for beach days and barbecues.
In places like Argentina and Chile (while they’re famous for their wines) beer consumption has been on the rise. You’ll find lots of craft beer places popping up in cities like Buenos Aires and Santiago.
What about Caribbean countries like Cuba and the Dominican Republic? Beer is huge there too. Nothing beats a cold Presidente beer on a hot Caribbean day, te lo aseguro (I assure you).
So yeah, while wine is still very important, beer definitely has its place in the drinking culture of Spanish regions.
2. World of beer in Spain, Mexico, and other countries
Let us give you a quick tour of different types of beers in Spanish-speaking countries. We listed the most famous beer brands.
Beer types in Spain
- Estrella Galicia: A popular lager from Galicia
- Mahou: A classic from Madrid
- Alhambra: Known for its premium quality, from Granada
Beer types in Mexico
- Corona: Probably the most famous Mexican beer worldwide
- Dos Equis: Another well-known brand
- Modelo: Comes in different varieties like Especial and Negra
Beer types in Argentina
- Quilmes: The national favorite
- Patagonia: A craft beer that’s gaining popularity
Beer types in the Dominican Republic
- Presidente: The go-to beer for most Dominicans
Beer types in Colombia
- Águila: A light lager that’s very popular
- Club Colombia: Considered a premium beer
Beer types in Peru
- Cusqueña: Named after the city of Cusco
Now, apart from these specific brands, you’ll find different types of beer across these countries:
- Rubia or Lager: Light beers – the most common of all
- Negra or Stout: Dark beers
- Tostada or Amber: Amber beers
- De trigo or Wheat beer: Wheat beers
- Artesanal: Craft beers (getting more popular everywhere)
3. How to order beer in Spanish language
Depending on what kind of beer you want to drink, there are several ways you can order beer in Spanish.
Here’s an overview of how you can order these types of beers… but! Stay with us, because we’ll show you how all of this sound in a real Spanish conversation.
| Type of Beer | How to Order in Spanish – English Translation |
|---|---|
| Cerveza – Beer | “Una cerveza, por favor.” – A beer, please. |
| Cerveza rubia – Light beer | “Una cerveza rubia, por favor.” – A light beer, please. |
| Cerveza negra – Dark beer | “Una cerveza negra, por favor.” – A dark beer, please. |
| Cerveza tostada – Amber beer | “Una cerveza tostada, por favor.” – An amber beer, please. |
| Cerveza de trigo – Wheat beer | “Una cerveza de trigo, por favor.” – A wheat beer, please. |
| Cerveza artesanal – Craft beer | “Una cerveza artesanal, por favor.” – A craft beer, please. |
| Caña – Draft beer (Spain) | “Una caña, por favor.” – A draft beer, please. (Spain) |
| Cerveza de barril – Draft beer | “Una cerveza de barril, por favor.” – A draft beer, please. |
| Cerveza en botella – Bottled beer | “Una cerveza en botella, por favor.” – A bottled beer, please. |
| Jarra de cerveza – Large beer | “Una jarra de cerveza, por favor.” – A large beer (pitcher), please. |
| Cerveza sin alcohol – Non-alcoholic beer | “Una cerveza sin alcohol, por favor.” – A non-alcoholic beer, please. |
| Cerveza local – Local beer | “¿Tiene alguna cerveza local?” – Do you have any local beer? |
| Marca específica – Specific brand | “Una [brand name], por favor.” – A [brand name], please. |
| Cerveza con limón – Beer with lime | “Una cerveza con limón, por favor.” – A beer with lime, please. |
| Recomendación – Recommendation | “¿Qué cervezas me recomienda?” – What beers do you recommend? |
| Cervezas artesanales – Craft beers | “¿Qué cervezas artesanales tienen?” – What craft beers do you have? |
And in a real-life example, this could go down like this:
Jorge: “¿Qué cervezas artesanales tienen?” (What craft beers do you have?)
Maria: “Tienen una cerveza local muy buena, te la recomiendo.” (They have a very good local beer, I recommend it.)
Jorge: “Perfecto, entonces una cerveza local, por favor.” (Perfect, then a local beer, please.)
4. Alcohol-free alternatives in Spanish
Non-alcoholic drinks are gaining popularity everywhere as Millenials and Gen Z are turning over to these alcohol-free options. So, if you want to take it easy, or want to enjoy the amazing taste of these beverages, go ahead and choose one from our menu! 😉
Keep in mind that you can order any of these just as simply as you can with beer in Spanish.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Agua mineral | Mineral water |
| Agua con gas | Sparkling water |
| Refresco or Gaseosa | Soda/Soft drink |
| Zumo (Spain) or Jugo (Latin America) | Juice |
| Limonada | Lemonade |
| Té helado | Iced tea |
| Batido | Milkshake or Smoothie |
| Horchata | Rice milk drink |
| Café | Coffee |
| Té | Tea |
| Cerveza sin alcohol | Non-alcoholic beer |
| Vino sin alcohol | Non-alcoholic wine |
| Cóctel sin alcohol or Mocktail | Mocktail |
| Kombucha | Kombucha |
| Agua de Jamaica | Hibiscus tea |
| Agua fresca | Fruit-infused water |
| Mate | Yerba mate |
| Champán sin alcohol | Non-alcoholic sparkling wine |
Again, in a real Spanish conversation:
Gabi: “¿Tienen algo refrescante sin alcohol?” (Do you have something refreshing without alcohol?)
Xavier: “Sí, te recomiendo el agua fresca, está deliciosa.” (Yes, I recommend the fruit-infused water, it’s delicious.)
Gabi: “Genial, me gustaría un agua fresca, por favor.” (Great, I would like a fruit-infused water, please.)
5. Practice ordering beer in Spanish with flashcards
What better way to practice all that you have learned in this blog post than with real-life examples?
Fill in the blanks with the missing words!
And this was just a glimpse of what we truly have to offer. If you click the button below, you’ll get access to our Full Practice Worksheet Library.
6. Learn how to say beer in Spanish and other beverages with Conversation Based Chunking
By now, you must’ve realized that we like to teach Spanish with real-life examples and real-life conversations.
That right! Because on Effortless Conversations, we use the Conversation Based Chunking as a teaching method. It’s all about learning in context, and instead of memorizing words one-by-one, you learn these chunks – that are natural parts of the language.
It’s how Spanish speakers learned their own language, and it’s – probably – how you learned your mother tongue. Without thinking much about grammar. We can explain everything in detail if you sign up now, and we’ll send you a free Spanish Chunking Starter Pack with essential resources to learn Spanish, practice exercises and other chunking lists in Spanish.
Grab a cerveza (or a non-alcoholic alternative), and come with us!
