Ready to learn?

Pick up a language to start

How to say 102 tasty drinks in German from beer to Bananensaft

Trying a country’s foods and drinks might just be our favorite part about discovering a new culture. It’s definitely the best reward for all the hard work you put into studying a new language.

So when you’re learning German, there’s a good chance you’re secretly planning a trip to Munich during the beer-heavy Oktoberfest season or dreaming of a snowy mountain get-away in the Swiss alps with a hot chocolate to warm your hands.

We’ll teach you all about the most popular drinks in German-speaking countries and how to order them.

How do you say drinks in German?

A drink or a beverage in German is “Getränk”, with the plural being “Getränke”. This can mean anything from coffee over juice to a cocktail.

If you’re specifically referring to an alcoholic drink, it’s common to use the English “drink”, for example, if you’re saying “I need a drink”: “Ich brauche einen Drink”.

Drinks in German.

How to order drinks in German

Whether you’re getting a glass of still water or a fancy cocktail with five different costume adjustments, it’s always good to know these basic phrases and expressions when ordering a drink in German.

English GermanIPA
Just some water for me, pleaseFür mich bloß Wasser, bitte[fy:ɐ̯ mɪç blɔs ˈvasɐ ˈbɪtə]
CarbonatedMit Sprudel; Mit Kohlensäure[mɪt ˈʃpʁuːdl̩; mɪt ˈkoːlənˌzɔɪ̯ʁə]
No iceOhne Eis; ohne Eiswürfel[ˈoːnə aɪ̯s; ˈoːnə ˈaɪ̯sˌvʏʁfl̩]
Which wine do you recommend?Welchen Wein empfehlen Sie?[vɛlçən vaɪ̯n ɛmp͡fe:lən zi:]
Can I please get your sweetest white wine?Kann ich bitte Ihren süßesten Weißwein haben?[kan ɪç bɪtə ˈiːʁən ˈzy:səʃtən ˈvaɪ̯svaɪ̯n ha:bən]
Do you have a dry red wine?Haben Sie einen trockenen Rotwein?[ˈha:bən zi: ˈaɪ̯nən ˈtʁɔkənən ˈʁo:tvaɪ̯n]
Do you have local beer here?Gibt es hier regionales Bier?[gi:pt ɛs hi:ɐ̯ ʁeɡi̯oˈnaːləs bi:ɐ̯]
One bottle of your most popular beer, pleaseEine Flasche Ihres beliebtesten Bieres, bitte[ˈaɪ̯nə ˈflaʃə ˈi:ʁəs bəˈli:ptəstən ˈbi:ʁəs ˈbɪtə]
I’ll have a martiniIch nehme einen Martini[ɪç ˈne:mə ˈaɪ̯nən maɐ̯ˈti:ni:]
Could I have a cup of hot chocolate, please?Könnte ich bitte eine Tasse Kakao haben?[ˈkœntə ɪç ˈbɪtə ˈaɪ̯nə ˈtasə kaˈka:ɔ ˈha:bən]
One coffee with milk and a little bit of sugar, pleaseEinen Kaffee mit Milch und ein wenig Zucker, bitte[ˈaɪ̯nən ˈkafe: mɪt mɪlç ʊnt aɪ̯n ˈve:nɪç ˈtsʊkɐ ˈbɪtə]

Drinks in German

We’ll teach you how to order drinks in German, so you get exactly what you want.

Here is a breakdown of all the different popular drinks like beer and wine, coffee and tea and juice and lemonade in German.

Water in German

Keep in mind that in Germany, water costs just as much as soft drinks, so never expect free water when you go to a restaurant! Even so, it’s still by far the most popular drink in Germany.

Germans especially love sparkling water. 83% of Germans drink their water carbonated! So when you order water in Germany, make sure you specify that you want still water, if that’s what you prefer.

Man drinking water in German.

English GermanIPA
WaterDas Wasser[ˈvasɐ]
Still waterStilles Wasser[ˈʃtɪləs ˈvasɐ]
Sparkling waterDas Mineralwasser; die Selter[mineˈʁaːlˌvasɐ; ˈzɛltɐ]
Tonic waterDas Tonic Water[ˈtɔnɪk ˈwɔːtə]
Soda waterDas Sodawasser[ˈzoːdaˌvasɐ]
A bottle of waterEine Flasche Wasser[ˈflaʃə ˈvasɐ]
Tap waterDas Leitungswasser[ˈlaɪ̯tʊŋsˌvasɐ]
Spring waterDas Quellwasser[ˈkvɛlˌvasɐ]
Distilled waterDestilliertes Wasser[dɛstɪˈliːɐ̯təs ˈvasɐ]
Purified waterGereinigtes Wasser[ɡəˈʁaɪ̯nɪçtəs ˈvasɐ]
A glass of waterEin Glas Wasser[ɡlaːs ˈvasɐ]

Cold non-alcoholic soft drinks like sodas and juices in German

If you’re looking for a refreshing non-alcoholic drink, you have plenty of delicious choices, from all kinds of fresh juices to an ice-cold German Spezi. Here is a list of soft drinks and other non-alcoholic cold drinks in German.

Green juice in German.

English GermanIPA
SodaDie Soda[ˈzoːda]
CokeDie Cola[ˈkoːla]
LemonadeDie Limonade[limoˈnaːdə]
Ice TeaDer Eistee[ˈaɪ̯sˌteː]
MilkDie Milch[mɪlç]
Soy milkDie Sojamilch[ˈzoːjaˌmɪlç]
Oat milkDie Hafermilch[ˈhaːfɐˌmɪlç]
Almond milkDie Mandelmilch[ˈmandlmɪlç]
Coconut milkDie Kokosmilch[ˈkoːkɔsˌmɪlç]
JuiceDer Saft[zaft]
Orange juiceDer Orangensaft[oˈʁɑ̃ːʒn̩ˌzaft]
Apple juiceDer Apfelsaft[ˈapflzaft]
Tomato juiceDer Tomatensaft[toˈmaːtnˌzaft]
Carrot juiceDer Karottensaft[kaˈʁɔtn̩ˌzaft]
Grape juiceDer Traubensaft[ˈtʁaʊ̯bn̩ˌzaft]
Multivitamin juiceDer Multivitaminsaft[ˌmʊltivitaˈmiːnˌzaft]
Grapefruit juiceDer Grapefruitsaft[ˈɡʁɛɪ̯pˌfʁuːtˌzaft]
Currant juiceDer Johannisbeersaft[joˈhanɪsbeːɐ̯ˌzaft]
Cherry juiceDer Kirschsaft[ˈkɪʁʃˌzaft]
Banana juiceDer Bananensaft[baˈnaːnənˌzaft]
Cherry banana blendDer KiBa[ˈkiːba]
Coconut waterDas Kokoswasser[ˈkoːkɔsˈvasɐ]
SmoothieDer Smoothie[ˈsmuːði]
Green smoothieGrüner Smoothie[ˈɡʁyːnɐ ˈsmuːði]
SlushyDer Slushy[ˈslaʃi:]
Bubble TeaDer Boba[ˈbo:ba:]
Root beerDas Rootbeer[ruːtbiːɐ̯]
SpritzerDie Schorle[ˈʃɔʁlə]
Apple spritzerDie Apfelschorle[ˈapflˈʃɔʁlə]
Popular German coke with orange lemonadeDie Spezi[ˈʃpeːt͡si]

Hot drinks in German

In Germany, Austria and Switzerland the weather can get pretty chilly. So it’s nice to have a hot drink that keeps you warm. Start your day with a Milchkaffee, before you hit the slope on your ski trip in Tirol or grab a cup of peppermint tea, as you stroll over the famous Christmas Market in Nürnberg!

Remember these hot drinks in German - and if you’re a passionate coffee drinker who travels a lot, our helpful guide on ordering coffee around the world will make your life even easier.

Hot chocolate and other drinks in German.

English GermanIPA
TeaDer Tee[teː]
Herbal teaDer Kräutertee[ˈkʁɔɪ̯tɐˌteː]
Fruit teaDer Früchtetee[ˈfʁʏçtəˌteː]
Black teaSchwarzer Tee[ˈʃvaʁt͡sɐ teː]
Green teaGrüner Tee[ˈɡʁyːnɐ teː]
Camomile teaKamillentee[kaˈmɪlənteː]
Peppermint teaPfefferminztee[ˈpfɛfɐmɪnt͡sˌteː]
Hot chocolateDer Kakao[kaˈkaʊ̯]
CoffeeDer Kaffee[ˈkafe]
CappuccinoDer Cappuccino[ˌkapʊˈtʃiːno]
EspressoDer Espresso[ˌɛsˈpʁɛso]
Caffè LatteDer Milchkaffee; Latte[ˈmɪlçkaˌfeː; ˈlatə]
Chai LatteDer Chai Latte[ˈtʃaɪ̯ ˈlatə]
MacchiatoDer Macchiato[makˈkiaːto]
MochaDer Mocha[ˈmɔka]
FrappuccinoDer Frappuccino[fʁappʊt͡ʃɪno:]
Drip coffeeDer Filterkaffee[ˈfɪltɐˌkafeː]
Turkish coffeeTürkischer Kaffee[ˈtʏʁkɪʃɐ ˈkafe]
Instant coffeeDer Instantkaffee; löslicher Kaffee[ˈɪnstənt ˈkafe]


Want to order coffee in German like a real connoisseur? You know where to go.

Cocktails and mixed alcoholic drinks in German

You can grab a cocktail in a bar or restaurant and it will be pretty easy because most cocktails are exactly the same in German and English. This will come in handy, especially if it’s your second or third cocktail and you can’t be bothered with German pronunciation anymore.

Just make sure, you never drink any of these on an empty stomach. Our German restaurant menu & dining guide will help you order some food to go with your cocktails.

Popular cocktails in German.

English GermanIPA
MargaritaDer Margarita[maʁɡaʁita]
Gin tonicDer Gin Tonic[ˈdʒɪn ˈtɔnɪk]
MartiniDer Martini[maʁˈtiːni]
DaiquiriDer Daiquiri[dajkiʁi]
Old FashionedDer Old-Fashioned[əʊld fæʃnd]
Bloody MaryDer Bloody Mary[bladi: mɛʁi]
MimosaDer Mimosa[miˈmoːzə]
GimletDer Gimlet[gi:mlət]
CosmopolitanDer Cosmopolitan[kɔsmɔpɔlɪtɛn]
ManhattanDer Manhattan[mɛnˈhɛtn̩]
NegroniDer Negroni[ne:gʁo:nɪ]
Moscow MuleDer Moscow Mule[mɔskaʊ̯ mju:l]
MojitoDer Mojito[məʊˈhiːtəʊ]
Whiskey SourDer Whiskey Sour[ˈvɪski ˈsaʊ̯ə]
Piña coladaDer Piña colada[ˈpinja koˈlaːda]
Egg liqueurDer Eierlikör[ˈaɪ̯ɐliˌkøːɐ̯]
Aperol SpritzDer Aperolspritzer[apɛʁo:lʃpʁɪt͡sɐ]

Beer in German

Beer in German is just “Bier”, almost the same as in English. Remember it well because it’s mandatory to at least try a German beer when you find yourself in a German-speaking country.

Of course every region will have their own specialty beers that they’re particularly proud of, so if you ask a local which beer is the best one, their answer will most likely be a little biased, depending on where they’re from. You might just have to try them all!

Women having a beer in German.

English GermanIPA
A pint of beerEin Pint Bier[pɪnt biːɐ̯]
AleDas Ale[ɛɪ̯l]
LagerDas Lager[ˈlaːɡɐ]
StoutDas Starkbier[ˈʃtaʁkˌbiːɐ̯]
Craft beerDas Craft-Bier[krɑːftbiːɐ̯]
Light beerHelles Bier[ˈhɛləs biːɐ̯]
Dark beerDunkles Bier[ˈdʊŋkləs biːɐ̯]
Non-alcoholic beerAlkoholfreies Bier[alkoˈhoːlˌfʁaɪ̯əs biːɐ̯]
Low-carb beerKohlenhydratarmes Bier[ˈkoːlənhyˌdʁaːtˈaʁməs biːɐ̯]


In fact, beer is such a big part of German culture that it deserves its own article on how to properly order a beer in German, which you can find here.

Wine in German

Wine in German is “Wein”. In Germany, wine is mostly produced in the Southwest, including the Rheingau region, Rheinhessen and Mosel Valley, home of the world famous Riesling.

A bottle of wine in German.

English GermanIPA
White wineDer Weißwein[ˈvaɪ̯sˌvaɪ̯n]
Red wineDer Rotwein[ˈʁoːtˌvaɪ̯n]
Sparkling wineDer Sekt[zɛkt]
ChampagneDer Champagner[ʃamˈpanjɐ]
ProseccoDer Prosecco[pʁoˈzɛko]
RoséDer Rosé[ʁoˈzeː]
Apple CiderApfelwein[ˈap͡fl̩vaɪ̯n]
Mulled wineDer Glühwein[ˈɡlyːˌvaɪ̯n]
Fortified WineDer Likörwein[liˈkøːɐ̯ˌvaɪ̯n]
Dessert wineDer Dessertwein[dɛˈseːɐ̯ˌvaɪ̯n]
Sweet wineSüßer Wein[ˈzyːsɐ ˌvaɪ̯n]
Dry wineTrockener Wein[ˈtʁɔkənɐ vaɪ̯n]
Popular German sparkling wine with elderflower syrupDer Hugo[ˈhuːɡo]
A slug of wineEin Schluck Wein[aɪ̯n ʃlʊk ˌvaɪ̯n]
A glass of wineEin Glas Wein[aɪ̯n ɡlaːs ˌvaɪ̯n]
A bottle of wineEine Flasche Wein[ˈaɪ̯nə ˈflaʃə ˌvaɪ̯n]

Drink-related verbs

There are many fun activities around drinks, like wine-tasting or playing drinking games. These are the respective verbs in German.

Learn how to say cheers in German.

English GermanIPA
To drinkTrinken[ˈtʁɪŋkn̩]
To toastAnstoßen[ˈanˌʃtoːsn̩]
To sip one’s drinkAn seinem Getränk nippen[an ˈzaɪ̯nəm ɡəˈtʁɛŋk ˈnɪpn̩]
To be thirstyDurst haben[dʊʁst ˈhaːbn]
To be potableTrinkbar sein[ˈtʁɪŋkbaːɐ̯ zaɪ̯n]
To tasteSchmecken[ˈʃmɛkn̩]
Wine tastingWeinverkostung[ˈvaɪ̯nfɛɐ̯ˌkɔstʊŋ]
To chugExen[ˈɛksn̩]
To play a drinking gameEin Trinkspiel spielen[aɪ̯n ˈtʁɪŋkˌʃpiːl ˈʃpiːlən]
To get drunkSich betrinken[sɪç bəˈtʁɪŋkn̩]
To be tipsyAngetrunken sein[ˈanɡəˌtʁʊŋkn̩ zaɪ̯n]
To be drunkBetrunken sein[bəˈtʁʊŋkn̩ zaɪ̯n]
To be hungoverEinen Kater haben[ˈaɪ̯nən ˈkaːtɐ ˈhaːbn]

Other important drink-related vocab

Here are some more drink-related words that might come in handy when you’re talking about drinks and drinking in German.

English GermanIPA
CupDie Tasse[ˈtasə]
MugDer Becher[ˈbɛçɐ]
GlassDas Glas[ɡlaːs]
Wine glassDas Weinglas[ˈvaɪ̯nˌɡlaːs]
Champagne glassDas Sektglas[ˈzɛktˌɡlaːs]
Pint glassDas Pint-Glas[pɪntˌɡlaːs]
Sippy cup (kids)Die Schnabeltasse[ˈʃnabl̩ˌtasə]
Plastic cupDer Plastikbecher[ˈplastɪkˌbɛçɐ]
Disposable cupDer Wegwerfbecher[ˈvɛkˌvɛʁfˈbɛçɐ]
StrawDer Strohhalm[ˈʃtʁoːˌhalm]
Cheers!Prost![pʁoːst]
With iceMit Eis; Mit Eiswürfeln[mɪt aɪ̯s; mɪt ˈaɪ̯svʏʁfl̩n]
Without iceOhne Eis; Ohne Eiswürfel[ˈoːnə aɪ̯s; oːnə ˈaɪ̯svʏʁfl̩n]
BottleDie Flasche[ˈflaʃə]
Pitcher / jugDer Krug[kʁuːk]
CanDie Kanne[ˈkanə]
A shotDer Shot[ʃɔt]
BarDie Bar[baːɐ̯]
Drink!Trink![tʁɪŋk]

Popular drinks in German-speaking countries

  • Germans are big fans of “Sprudel”, passionate coffee drinkers and very laid-back about alcohol consumption.
  • Water is by far the most popular drink in German-speaking countries, especially sparkling water.
  • Other very popular bubbly German drinks are Apfelschorle (apple spritzer) and Spezi, a mixture of coke and orange soda.
  • If you’re not into carbonated drinks, try a KiBa! This is a blend of cherry juice (Kirschsaft) and banana juice (Bananensaft), especially popular in summer.

Where to go out for a drink in German-speaking countries

When it comes to alcoholic drinks, you’ll be surprised just how little rules there are in Germany. You can drink at bars and restaurants alike and it’s very common to grab a glass of beer or wine with your meal.

Alternatively, you can buy your own liquor and just drink on the street, in parks or even on public transport. There are no dedicated liquor stores, either. You can buy alcohol at the supermarket or the next gas station.

Lastly, Germans are legally allowed to purchase and consume beer and wine at the age of 16. When they turn 18, they can even buy and drink hard liquor!

Check out our birthdays in German article to learn about some other surprising birthday-related facts in Germany.

All about the most surprising German drinks

Trying surprising German drinks 😲| Easy German 265


In this video, the two Germans Ana and Cari introduce their friends Francisco from Nicaragua, Mohamed from Egypt and Justyna from Poland to a number of curious German drinks:

  • Gurkenlimonade (cucumber lemonade)
  • Sauerkrautsaft (sauerkraut juice)
  • Rotbäckchensaft (“red-cheek-juice”: a fruit juice to boost your immune system)
  • Berliner Fassbrause (Berlin’s famous barrel lemonade)
  • and a number of herb and fruit liqueurs like “Jagdfürst

You’ll also learn how to open a bottle in Germany and get a glimpse of the impressive assortment on the Schnapps shelf in a regular German supermarket!

Some liquid encouragement

There is a common German expression that means “to drink yourself courageous”: Sich Mut antrinken. Maybe you can use this strategy if you find yourself hesitant to speak German in a social situation.

A delicious German beer or wine will go a long way in giving you a little courage - and a shot of herb or fruit liqueur will certainly do the trick - but sometimes it’s enough to have a glass or a mug in your hands.

It’s just nice to have something to hold on to when you’re feeling self-conscious. So grab any drink and use your newly acquired drinking-vocab to start a simple conversation in German. Of course that can be a glass of Apfelschorle or a calming Kamillentee!

If you’re feeling thirsty for more knowledge, check out our juicy German language blog!

Call Us

1-866-423-7548


Find out more

Fill in the form below and we’ll contact you to discuss your learning options and answer any questions you may have.