Learn To Order Beer In Many Languages

Beer is a beloved beverage worldwide, and knowing how to order one in different languages can be a great ice-breaker when travelling. Whether you're in a tapas bar in Barcelona, a German beer hall, or a cantina in Mexico, it's useful to know how to ask for a beer in the local language. So, how do you order a beer in different languages? Let's find out!

How to order a beer in German

Step 1: Finding a seat

In Germany, you usually don't wait to be seated. If there's no host, you can just head over to a table and seat yourself.

Step 2: Choosing your beer

German beers are typically brewed with water, barley, hops and yeast, as per the German Beer Purity Law. Some common types of German beer include:

• Weißbier/Weizenbier: A refreshing wheat beer with notes of banana and clove.
• Dunkelweizen/Dunkles Weißbier: A darker version of the Hefeweizen, with a creamy, full-bodied taste.
• Pils: A light and crisp beer.
• Helles Lager: A light pale lager.
• Märzen: A copper-coloured, malty beer often served at Oktoberfest.
• Berliner Weiße: A pale, sour beer from Berlin.

Step 3: Placing your order

• Ich hätte gern ein...: "I would like a..."
• Ich nehme ein...: "I'll take a..."
• Ein..., bitte: "A..., please."

For example, you could say:

• Ich hätte gern ein Weißbier, bitte: "I would like a wheat beer, please."
• Ich nehme ein Dunkelweizen, bitte: "I'll take a dark wheat beer, please."
• Ein Helles, bitte: "A light one, please."

Step 4: Drinking like a German

When toasting, it's customary to say "Prost!" or "Zum Wohl!", the German equivalent of "Cheers!". Be sure to make eye contact and clink glasses with everyone present.

How to order a beer in Spanish

The Basics

Ordering a beer in Spanish is a bit more complicated than simply saying "una cerveza, por favor." This is because there is a whole vocabulary used to refer to different beer sizes and types, with different expressions used in each region.

Size

In many countries, the words "pequeña" (small) and "grande" (large) are all you need to know when ordering a beer. In Spain, however, they use more diverse terminology. Here are some of the most common beer sizes:

• La Caña: The classic draught beer served on tap at the bar, usually with a lot of foam in a small 200-250ml glass.
• Caña Doble or Doble: A larger draught beer, typically served in a 330-400ml glass.
• Botellín: A small 250ml bottle of beer.
• Mediana: A larger 330ml bottle of beer, known as "mediana" in Catalonia.
• Tubo: A large beer served in a long 400ml glass that looks like a tube, usually around 300-500ml.
• Jarra: A mug of beer, usually at least a pint or larger.
• Litro or Litrona: A full litre of beer, often served in a jug or bottle.

Type

In addition to size, there are also different types of beer that you can order in Spain. One popular option is:

Clara: A mixture of beer and refreshing lemon drink ("con limón") or lemonade ("con casera"), also known as "champú" in Valencia, "shandy" in Mallorca, and "lejía" in Guipúzcoa and Navarra.

Ordering

When ordering a beer in Spanish, you can be quite direct. Here are some useful phrases:

• Dame...: Give me...
• Quiero...: I want...
• Ponme...: Get me...

So, if you want to order a small beer, you can say:

> ¡Ponme una caña!

If you're with a friend, you can say:

> ¡Ponnos un par de cañas!

And don't forget to cheers!

How to order a beer in Japanese

Step 1: Finding a Bar

Head to an izakaya, a casual restaurant that's perfect for ordering small dishes to share with your drinking companions. You'll find izakayas all over Japan, from cheap chains to classy private dining rooms.

Step 2: Ordering Your Beer

When you enter, the staff will likely greet you with a loud "いっらしゃいませ" ("Irasshaimase"), which means "welcome". Now, it's time to order.

To ask for a beer in Japanese, say:

> ビア、ください。

> (bīru, kudasai.)

> Beer, please.

Or, to be more specific, ask for a draft beer:

> 生ビール、ください。

> (nama bīru kudasai.)

> Draft beer, please.

"Nama" means "draft", and "bīru" means "beer". "Kudasai" means "please".

If you want to be casual, you can simply say "bīru kudasai", but the server might ask you what kind of beer you would like.

Step 3: Asking for Recommendations

If you want to ask for a recommendation, try this:

> おすすめ (ビール) は？

> (oh-su-su-may bīru wah?)

> What is your recommended (beer)?

This can be a little tricky for the server, as they don't know your tastes. They may ask you some follow-up questions, or you can add some phrases to explain your preferences.

Step 4: Ordering Multiple Beers

If you want to order more than one beer, you need to add a number to your sentence. But be aware, in Japanese, you need to use specific numbers to count liquids in containers.

To count glasses of beer, use the following:

• 1 glass: Ippai (いっぱい)
• 2 glasses: Nihai (にはい)
• 3 glasses: Sanbai (さんばい)
• 4 glasses: Yonhai (よんはい)
• 5 glasses: Gohai (ごはい)
• 6 glasses: Roppai (ろっぱい)

So, if you want to order three beers, say:

> 生ビールを三杯ください。

> (nama bīru o sanbai kudasai.)

> Three draft beers, please.

Step 5: Asking for Another Beer

If you've finished your first beer and would like another, use this convenient expression:

> かわり、ください。

> (kawari kudasai.)

> One more, please.

Step 6: Asking for the Bill

When you're done drinking and it's time to ask for the bill, use the following phrase:

> かいけい (を) ください。

> (kaikei (o) kudasai.)

> The bill, please.

"Okaikei (wo) onegaishimasu" is the most formal way to ask for the bill. You can also simply say "chekku" or "check", or just "okaikei".

Bonus: Toasting

Before you drink, it's customary to toast with a loud:

> 乾杯!

> (kanpai!)

> Cheers!

How to order a beer in French

Vocabulary

Before you learn how to order a beer in French, it's good to know some of the vocabulary related to beer in French.

Beer in French is bière, and it's feminine. The plural is bières.

• Bière de blé/bière de froment (wheat beer)
• Bière brune (stout)
• Bière blonde (lager)
• Bière blanche (white beer)
• Bière anglaise (ale)
• Bière à faible teneur en glucides (low-carb beer)

Ordering a beer

Now that you know some of the vocabulary, it's time to learn how to order a beer in French.

If you want to say "I would like a beer, please", you can say Je voudrais une bière, s'il vous plaît. If you want to keep it simple, you can just say Une bière, s'il vous plaît, which means "One beer, please".

If you want to order a second beer, you might be asked Un demi ou une pinte? which means "A half-pint or a pint?". You can respond with Une autre bière, merci! which means "Another beer, thanks!".

If you're not sure what type of beer to order, you can ask Quel type de bière voulez-vous? ("What type of beer would you like?") or simply Qu'est-ce que vous avez? ("What do you have?").

Cheers! Or as they say in France, À la vôtre!

How to order a beer in Italian

How to say "beer" in Italian

First things first, "beer" in Italian is "birra". This is a feminine noun, so it takes the articles "la" or "una". So, if you're ordering a beer for yourself, you're going to want to ask for "una birra".

Types of beer

If you're in a typical Italian bar or restaurant, you'll likely come across one of these five popular Italian beers:

• Birra bionda/chiara: pale ale
• Birra rossa/ambrata: red ale
• Birra scura: brown ale
• Birra doppio malto: double malt
• Birra alla spina: draft beer

Common colours and sizes

When it comes to colours, there are three main categories:

• Bionda/chiara (blonde/pale)
• Rossa/ambrata (red)
• Scura (brown)

As for sizes, the most common you'll find on a menu or beer list are:

• Una birra piccola (small, around 6 ounces)
• Una birra media (medium, around 13 ounces)

Ordering a beer

Now that you know the basics, here are some example sentences to help you order a beer in Italian:

• Una birra, per favore – A beer, please
• Una birra piccola/media, per favore – A small/medium beer, please
• Una birra chiara/scura, per favore – A light/dark beer, please
• Una birra alla spina, per favore – A beer on tap, please
• Una birra in bottiglia, per favore – A bottled beer, please
• Una birra ghiacciata, per favore – An ice-cold beer, please
• Vorrei provare una birra artigianale italiana – I would like to try an Italian craft beer
• Vorrei una bottiglia di Peroni, per favore – I would like a bottle of Peroni, please

Offering to buy a beer

If you're feeling generous and want to offer to buy a beer for someone, you can say:

• Posso offrirti una birra? – Can I buy you a beer?
• Offro io – I'm buying

Ordering another round

If you're having such a good time that you want to order another round, try this:

• Un'altra birra, grazie – Another beer, thanks
• Il prossimo giro! – The next round!
• Un altro giro, per favore – Another round, please

Frequently asked questions