Want to order drinks in Spanish without pointing at the menu? Whether you would like a glass of water, a morning coffee, a cold beer or a margarita, a few simple words will help you order naturally and confidently.
In this guide, you will learn the most common Spanish drink names, useful ordering phrases and the differences you may hear in Spain and Latin America. Save the quick-reference tables for your next café, restaurant or holiday!
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How to Order Drinks in Spanish
You do not need a long sentence to order successfully. Start with one of these polite expressions and add the name of your drink. Quisiera works almost everywhere, while ¿Me pone…? is especially common in Spain.
| SPANISH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| Quisiera un café, por favor. | I would like a coffee, please. |
| ¿Me pone una cerveza, por favor? | Could I have a beer, please? |
| Para mí, un agua con gas. | For me, a sparkling water. |
| ¿Me trae un zumo de naranja? | Could you bring me an orange juice? |
| ¿Tiene limonada? | Do you have lemonade? |
| Lo quiero para llevar. | I would like it to take away. |
| Sin hielo, por favor. | Without ice, please. |
| ¿Cuánto cuesta? | How much does it cost? |
At a busy bar, you may also hear Para mí… followed by the order. Adding por favor and finishing with gracias keeps every version friendly.
How to Order Water in Spanish
Water is el agua. Although agua is a feminine noun, Spanish uses el and un before it in the singular because the first a is stressed: el agua fría, un agua fría.
| SPANISH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| El agua | Water |
| Agua sin gas | Still water |
| Agua con gas | Sparkling water |
| Agua mineral | Mineral water |
| Agua del grifo | Tap water |
| Una botella de agua | A bottle of water |
| Un vaso de agua | A glass of water |
| Agua fría | Cold water |
| Agua del tiempo | Room-temperature water |
Try: Quisiera una botella de agua sin gas, por favor. — “I would like a bottle of still water, please.” To customize it, say con hielo (with ice), sin hielo (without ice) or con una rodaja de limón (with a slice of lemon).
How to Order Coffee in Spanish
Coffee is el café, but the exact names vary by country. These options are widely understood, and the first three are particularly common in Spain.
| SPANISH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| Un café solo | An espresso |
| Un cortado | An espresso with a little milk |
| Un café con leche | Coffee with milk |
| Un café americano | An Americano |
| Un café descafeinado | A decaffeinated coffee |
| Un café con hielo | Coffee served with ice |
| Un café para llevar | A takeaway coffee |
| Leche de avena | Oat milk |
For example: ¿Me pone un café con leche de avena para llevar? — “Could I have a coffee with oat milk to take away?” If you have already had too much caffeine, ask for un descafeinado.
Juice in Spanish: Zumo or Jugo?
In Spain, juice is normally el zumo. In much of Latin America, you will hear el jugo. Both are correct, so use the word common at your destination.
| SPANISH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| Zumo de naranja / jugo de naranja | Orange juice |
| Zumo de manzana / jugo de manzana | Apple juice |
| Zumo de piña / jugo de piña | Pineapple juice |
| Zumo de tomate / jugo de tomate | Tomato juice |
| Recién exprimido | Freshly squeezed |
| Un vaso de zumo | A glass of juice |
Try: Quisiera un zumo de naranja natural. In Spain, natural often means fresh rather than chilled to room temperature, depending on the context.
How to Order Soda or Lemonade
A general word for a soft drink is el refresco. You can also order by brand, such as Coca-Cola, Fanta or Sprite. The words gaseosa and soda are used differently across Spanish-speaking countries, so refresco is a useful neutral choice.
| SPANISH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| Un refresco | A soft drink / soda |
| Una limonada | A lemonade |
| Una lata | A can |
| Una botella | A bottle |
| Con azúcar | With sugar |
| Sin azúcar | Sugar-free |
You could say: ¿Tiene limonada casera? — “Do you have homemade lemonade?” Or simply order Una Coca-Cola sin hielo, por favor.
How to Order Beer or Cider in Spanish
Beer is la cerveza, and cider is la sidra. Beer sizes and names vary considerably by region. In Spain, a caña is generally a small draft beer, but its exact size depends on the bar.
| SPANISH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| Una cerveza | A beer |
| Una caña | A small draft beer (Spain) |
| Una cerveza de barril | A draft beer |
| Una botella de cerveza | A bottle of beer |
| Una lata de cerveza | A can of beer |
| Una jarra de cerveza | A mug or pitcher of beer |
| Una cerveza sin alcohol | An alcohol-free beer |
| Una sidra | A cider |
To order by brand, say Una [brand], por favor. If you want to know what is on tap, ask ¿Qué cerveza tiene de barril?
How to Order Wine or Sangria
Wine is el vino. Remember that red wine is vino tinto, not vino rojo. You can order a glass with una copa or a bottle with una botella.
| SPANISH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| Vino tinto | Red wine |
| Vino blanco | White wine |
| Vino rosado | Rosé wine |
| Una copa de vino | A glass of wine |
| Una botella de vino | A bottle of wine |
| Una sangría | A sangria |
| El cava | Spanish sparkling wine |
| El champán / la champaña | Champagne |
Try: Para mí, una copa de vino tinto. If you are sharing, ask for una jarra de sangría. In Spain, do not forget to try el cava.
How to Order Cocktails in Spanish
Cocktail is el cóctel. Most cocktail names stay the same, although Spanish pronunciation may sound different. Look for cócteles on the menu.
| SPANISH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| Un mojito | A mojito |
| Una margarita | A margarita |
| Una piña colada | A piña colada |
| Un daiquiri | A daiquiri |
| Un cóctel sin alcohol | An alcohol-free cocktail |
| Un mojito virgen | A virgin mojito |
Ordering is as simple as: Quisiera una margarita, por favor. If you do not drink alcohol, say sin alcohol or ask ¿Tiene algún cóctel sin alcohol?
Customize Your Drink in Spanish
| SPANISH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| Con hielo | With ice |
| Sin hielo | Without ice |
| Con poco hielo | With a little ice |
| Con limón | With lemon |
| Sin azúcar | Without sugar |
| Con leche | With milk |
| Sin alcohol | Without alcohol |
| Para llevar | To take away / to go |
The pattern is easy: say the drink first, then add con (with) or sin (without). For example: Un café con hielo y sin azúcar, por favor.
Example Dialogue: Ordering Drinks at a Café
Camarero: Hola, ¿qué van a tomar?
Waiter: Hello, what would you like to drink?Cliente: Para mí, un café con leche. Y para ella, un zumo de naranja, por favor.
Customer: For me, a coffee with milk. And for her, an orange juice, please.Camarero: ¿El café es para aquí o para llevar?
Waiter: Is the coffee for here or to take away?Cliente: Para aquí. ¿Nos trae también un vaso de agua?
Customer: For here. Could you also bring us a glass of water?Camarero: Claro. ¿Algo más?
Waiter: Of course. Anything else?Cliente: No, gracias. Eso es todo.
Customer: No, thank you. That is all.
Questions You May Hear When Ordering
- ¿Qué va a tomar? — What would you like to drink?
- ¿Con gas o sin gas? — Sparkling or still?
- ¿Para aquí o para llevar? — For here or to take away?
- ¿De qué tamaño? — What size?
- ¿Con hielo? — With ice?
- ¿Algo más? — Anything else?
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Say el agua, not la agua, but remember that the adjective remains feminine: el agua fría.
- Use vino tinto for red wine, not the literal translation vino rojo.
- Use zumo in Spain and jugo in most of Latin America.
- A caña is common in Spain, but beer-size vocabulary changes by country.
- Quiero… is grammatically correct, but Quisiera… or ¿Me pone…? often sounds softer when ordering.
Drinks in Spanish: Quick Vocabulary List
| SPANISH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| La bebida | Drink / beverage |
| El agua | Water |
| El café | Coffee |
| El té | Tea |
| El zumo / el jugo | Juice |
| El refresco | Soft drink / soda |
| La limonada | Lemonade |
| La cerveza | Beer |
| La sidra | Cider |
| El vino | Wine |
| La sangría | Sangria |
| El cava | Spanish sparkling wine |
| El cóctel | Cocktail |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say “drinks” in Spanish?
“Drinks” or “beverages” is las bebidas. One drink is una bebida. The verb “to drink” is beber, although tomar is also frequently used when talking about having a drink.
What is the easiest way to order a drink in Spanish?
Use Quisiera + drink + por favor. For example: Quisiera un café, por favor. This polite structure is widely understood across the Spanish-speaking world.
How do you ask for tap water in Spanish?
Say ¿Me trae un vaso de agua del grifo, por favor? This means “Could you bring me a glass of tap water, please?” Availability and restaurant customs vary by country.
Does juice mean zumo or jugo?
Both words mean juice. Zumo is standard in Spain, while jugo is more common across Latin America.
Ready to Order Your Next Drink?
You now know how to order water, coffee, juice, soda, beer, wine and cocktails in Spanish. Choose one ordering phrase, add your favorite drink and customize it with con or sin. That is enough to handle most real café and restaurant conversations.
Continue with the full guide to ordering food in Spanish, then learn several natural ways to say thank you in Spanish.
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