Knowing how to order a drink is one of the first things you'll want to do in a Spanish-speaking country. Whether you're at a casual bar in Mexico City, a restaurant in Buenos Aires, or a friend's house in Colombia, this vocabulary is essential for socializing and relaxing. You'll use these words in restaurants, bars, and at social gatherings to order drinks, understand menus, and make conversation. This list focuses on high-frequency words used throughout Latin America. You'll notice many easy cognates, like "vino" (wine) and "bar". We'll also cover key phrases for ordering, like "Quisiera..." (I would like...) and "la cuenta" (the check). While "cerveza" is the universal word for beer, many countries have popular slang terms. For instance, you'll hear "chela" in Mexico and Peru, "birra" in Argentina, and "pola" in Colombia. Using these local terms is a great way to sound more natural. We've organized the words into logical groups, from the drinks themselves to the phrases you need to order them and talk about them. Mastering this vocabulary will make your dining and social experiences much more enjoyable and authentic.
wine
En Argentina, es muy común tomar una copa de vino con la cena. — In Argentina, it's very common to have a glass of wine with dinner.
red wine
Prefiero el vino tinto con las carnes rojas. — I prefer red wine with red meats.
white wine
Este vino blanco de Chile es delicioso y muy fresco. — This white wine from Chile is delicious and very fresh.
rosé wine
En un día de calor, me gusta tomar un vino rosado bien frío. — On a hot day, I like to drink a very cold rosé wine.
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beer
¿Quieres una cerveza? En México le dicen 'chela' y en Argentina 'birra'. — Do you want a beer? In Mexico they call it 'chela' and in Argentina 'birra'.
craft beer
Hay muchos bares nuevos que solo venden cerveza artesanal. — There are many new bars that only sell craft beer.
I would like...
Quisiera una copa de vino tinto, por favor. — I would like a glass of red wine, please.
a glass of...
Para mí, una copa de vino blanco. — For me, a glass of white wine.
a bottle of...
Vamos a pedir una botella de vino para compartir. — Let's order a bottle of wine to share.
draft beer
La cerveza de barril siempre está más fría. En España le dicen 'de grifo'. — Draft beer is always colder. In Spain they call it 'de grifo'.
a can
Compré unas latas de cerveza para la fiesta. — I bought some cans of beer for the party.
cold
¡Por favor, tráigame una cerveza bien fría! — Please, bring me a very cold beer!
room temperature
Algunas personas prefieren el vino tinto al tiempo, no frío. — Some people prefer red wine at room temperature, not cold.
What do you recommend?
Hay muchos vinos, ¿qué me recomienda usted? — There are many wines, what do you recommend?
To drink...
El mesero preguntó: '¿Y para tomar?'. — The waiter asked: 'And to drink?'.
the bill / the check
Mesero, la cuenta, por favor. — Waiter, the check, please.
dry (for wine)
No me gustan los vinos dulces, prefiero un vino más seco. — I don't like sweet wines, I prefer a drier wine.
sweet
Este es un vino de postre, es bastante dulce. — This is a dessert wine, it's quite sweet.
smooth / light
Es un vino tinto muy suave, fácil de tomar. — It's a very smooth red wine, easy to drink.
strong
Esa cerveza artesanal es un poco fuerte, tiene mucho alcohol. — That craft beer is a bit strong, it has a lot of alcohol.
light / blonde (for beer)
Yo solo tomo cerveza clara o rubia. — I only drink light or blonde beer.
dark / black (for beer)
En invierno, me gusta tomar una cerveza oscura. — In winter, I like to drink a dark beer.
the bar
Nos vemos en el bar de la esquina a las ocho. — See you at the corner bar at eight.
the cantina / bar
Las cantinas en México son lugares muy tradicionales para tomar algo. — Cantinas in Mexico are very traditional places to have a drink.
the waiter / the waitress
La mesera fue muy amable y nos recomendó un buen vino. — The waitress was very kind and recommended a good wine to us.
the bartender
Pídele otra cerveza al cantinero. — Ask the bartender for another beer.
Cheers!
Levantemos las copas. ¡Salud por los amigos! — Let's raise our glasses. Cheers to friends!
to treat / to pay for
Tranquilo, yo invito la primera ronda de cervezas. — Relax, I'll get the first round of beers.
one for the road (lit. the last one and we go)
Bueno, pidamos la última y nos vamos. — Okay, let's order one for the road.