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”.

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	German	IPA
Just some water for me, please	Für mich bloß Wasser, bitte	[fy:ɐ̯ mɪç blɔs ˈvasɐ ˈbɪtə]
Carbonated	Mit Sprudel; Mit Kohlensäure	[mɪt ˈʃpʁuːdl̩; mɪt ˈkoːlənˌzɔɪ̯ʁə]
No ice	Ohne 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, please	Eine Flasche Ihres beliebtesten Bieres, bitte	[ˈaɪ̯nə ˈflaʃə ˈi:ʁəs bəˈli:ptəstən ˈbi:ʁəs ˈbɪtə]
I’ll have a martini	Ich 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, please	Einen 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.

English	German	IPA
Water	Das Wasser	[ˈvasɐ]
Still water	Stilles Wasser	[ˈʃtɪləs ˈvasɐ]
Sparkling water	Das Mineralwasser; die Selter	[mineˈʁaːlˌvasɐ; ˈzɛltɐ]
Tonic water	Das Tonic Water	[ˈtɔnɪk ˈwɔːtə]
Soda water	Das Sodawasser	[ˈzoːdaˌvasɐ]
A bottle of water	Eine Flasche Wasser	[ˈflaʃə ˈvasɐ]
Tap water	Das Leitungswasser	[ˈlaɪ̯tʊŋsˌvasɐ]
Spring water	Das Quellwasser	[ˈkvɛlˌvasɐ]
Distilled water	Destilliertes Wasser	[dɛstɪˈliːɐ̯təs ˈvasɐ]
Purified water	Gereinigtes Wasser	[ɡəˈʁaɪ̯nɪçtəs ˈvasɐ]
A glass of water	Ein 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.

English	German	IPA
Soda	Die Soda	[ˈzoːda]
Coke	Die Cola	[ˈkoːla]
Lemonade	Die Limonade	[limoˈnaːdə]
Ice Tea	Der Eistee	[ˈaɪ̯sˌteː]
Milk	Die Milch	[mɪlç]
Soy milk	Die Sojamilch	[ˈzoːjaˌmɪlç]
Oat milk	Die Hafermilch	[ˈhaːfɐˌmɪlç]
Almond milk	Die Mandelmilch	[ˈmandlmɪlç]
Coconut milk	Die Kokosmilch	[ˈkoːkɔsˌmɪlç]
Juice	Der Saft	[zaft]
Orange juice	Der Orangensaft	[oˈʁɑ̃ːʒn̩ˌzaft]
Apple juice	Der Apfelsaft	[ˈapflzaft]
Tomato juice	Der Tomatensaft	[toˈmaːtnˌzaft]
Carrot juice	Der Karottensaft	[kaˈʁɔtn̩ˌzaft]
Grape juice	Der Traubensaft	[ˈtʁaʊ̯bn̩ˌzaft]
Multivitamin juice	Der Multivitaminsaft	[ˌmʊltivitaˈmiːnˌzaft]
Grapefruit juice	Der Grapefruitsaft	[ˈɡʁɛɪ̯pˌfʁuːtˌzaft]
Currant juice	Der Johannisbeersaft	[joˈhanɪsbeːɐ̯ˌzaft]
Cherry juice	Der Kirschsaft	[ˈkɪʁʃˌzaft]
Banana juice	Der Bananensaft	[baˈnaːnənˌzaft]
Cherry banana blend	Der KiBa	[ˈkiːba]
Coconut water	Das Kokoswasser	[ˈkoːkɔsˈvasɐ]
Smoothie	Der Smoothie	[ˈsmuːði]
Green smoothie	Grüner Smoothie	[ˈɡʁyːnɐ ˈsmuːði]
Slushy	Der Slushy	[ˈslaʃi:]
Bubble Tea	Der Boba	[ˈbo:ba:]
Root beer	Das Rootbeer	[ruːtbiːɐ̯]
Spritzer	Die Schorle	[ˈʃɔʁlə]
Apple spritzer	Die Apfelschorle	[ˈapflˈʃɔʁlə]
Popular German coke with orange lemonade	Die 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.

English	German	IPA
Tea	Der Tee	[teː]
Herbal tea	Der Kräutertee	[ˈkʁɔɪ̯tɐˌteː]
Fruit tea	Der Früchtetee	[ˈfʁʏçtəˌteː]
Black tea	Schwarzer Tee	[ˈʃvaʁt͡sɐ teː]
Green tea	Grüner Tee	[ˈɡʁyːnɐ teː]
Camomile tea	Kamillentee	[kaˈmɪlənteː]
Peppermint tea	Pfefferminztee	[ˈpfɛfɐmɪnt͡sˌteː]
Hot chocolate	Der Kakao	[kaˈkaʊ̯]
Coffee	Der Kaffee	[ˈkafe]
Cappuccino	Der Cappuccino	[ˌkapʊˈtʃiːno]
Espresso	Der Espresso	[ˌɛsˈpʁɛso]
Caffè Latte	Der Milchkaffee; Latte	[ˈmɪlçkaˌfeː; ˈlatə]
Chai Latte	Der Chai Latte	[ˈtʃaɪ̯ ˈlatə]
Macchiato	Der Macchiato	[makˈkiaːto]
Mocha	Der Mocha	[ˈmɔka]
Frappuccino	Der Frappuccino	[fʁappʊt͡ʃɪno:]
Drip coffee	Der Filterkaffee	[ˈfɪltɐˌkafeː]
Turkish coffee	Türkischer Kaffee	[ˈtʏʁkɪʃɐ ˈkafe]
Instant coffee	Der 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.

English	German	IPA
Margarita	Der Margarita	[maʁɡaʁita]
Gin tonic	Der Gin Tonic	[ˈdʒɪn ˈtɔnɪk]
Martini	Der Martini	[maʁˈtiːni]
Daiquiri	Der Daiquiri	[dajkiʁi]
Old Fashioned	Der Old-Fashioned	[əʊld fæʃnd]
Bloody Mary	Der Bloody Mary	[bladi: mɛʁi]
Mimosa	Der Mimosa	[miˈmoːzə]
Gimlet	Der Gimlet	[gi:mlət]
Cosmopolitan	Der Cosmopolitan	[kɔsmɔpɔlɪtɛn]
Manhattan	Der Manhattan	[mɛnˈhɛtn̩]
Negroni	Der Negroni	[ne:gʁo:nɪ]
Moscow Mule	Der Moscow Mule	[mɔskaʊ̯ mju:l]
Mojito	Der Mojito	[məʊˈhiːtəʊ]
Whiskey Sour	Der Whiskey Sour	[ˈvɪski ˈsaʊ̯ə]
Piña colada	Der Piña colada	[ˈpinja koˈlaːda]
Egg liqueur	Der Eierlikör	[ˈaɪ̯ɐliˌkøːɐ̯]
Aperol Spritz	Der 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!

English	German	IPA
A pint of beer	Ein Pint Bier	[pɪnt biːɐ̯]
Ale	Das Ale	[ɛɪ̯l]
Lager	Das Lager	[ˈlaːɡɐ]
Stout	Das Starkbier	[ˈʃtaʁkˌbiːɐ̯]
Craft beer	Das Craft-Bier	[krɑːftbiːɐ̯]
Light beer	Helles Bier	[ˈhɛləs biːɐ̯]
Dark beer	Dunkles Bier	[ˈdʊŋkləs biːɐ̯]
Non-alcoholic beer	Alkoholfreies Bier	[alkoˈhoːlˌfʁaɪ̯əs biːɐ̯]
Low-carb beer	Kohlenhydratarmes 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.

English	German	IPA
White wine	Der Weißwein	[ˈvaɪ̯sˌvaɪ̯n]
Red wine	Der Rotwein	[ˈʁoːtˌvaɪ̯n]
Sparkling wine	Der Sekt	[zɛkt]
Champagne	Der Champagner	[ʃamˈpanjɐ]
Prosecco	Der Prosecco	[pʁoˈzɛko]
Rosé	Der Rosé	[ʁoˈzeː]
Apple Cider	Apfelwein	[ˈap͡fl̩vaɪ̯n]
Mulled wine	Der Glühwein	[ˈɡlyːˌvaɪ̯n]
Fortified Wine	Der Likörwein	[liˈkøːɐ̯ˌvaɪ̯n]
Dessert wine	Der Dessertwein	[dɛˈseːɐ̯ˌvaɪ̯n]
Sweet wine	Süßer Wein	[ˈzyːsɐ ˌvaɪ̯n]
Dry wine	Trockener Wein	[ˈtʁɔkənɐ vaɪ̯n]
Popular German sparkling wine with elderflower syrup	Der Hugo	[ˈhuːɡo]
A slug of wine	Ein Schluck Wein	[aɪ̯n ʃlʊk ˌvaɪ̯n]
A glass of wine	Ein Glas Wein	[aɪ̯n ɡlaːs ˌvaɪ̯n]
A bottle of wine	Eine 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.

English	German	IPA
To drink	Trinken	[ˈtʁɪŋkn̩]
To toast	Anstoßen	[ˈanˌʃtoːsn̩]
To sip one’s drink	An seinem Getränk nippen	[an ˈzaɪ̯nəm ɡəˈtʁɛŋk ˈnɪpn̩]
To be thirsty	Durst haben	[dʊʁst ˈhaːbn]
To be potable	Trinkbar sein	[ˈtʁɪŋkbaːɐ̯ zaɪ̯n]
To taste	Schmecken	[ˈʃmɛkn̩]
Wine tasting	Weinverkostung	[ˈvaɪ̯nfɛɐ̯ˌkɔstʊŋ]
To chug	Exen	[ˈɛksn̩]
To play a drinking game	Ein Trinkspiel spielen	[aɪ̯n ˈtʁɪŋkˌʃpiːl ˈʃpiːlən]
To get drunk	Sich betrinken	[sɪç bəˈtʁɪŋkn̩]
To be tipsy	Angetrunken sein	[ˈanɡəˌtʁʊŋkn̩ zaɪ̯n]
To be drunk	Betrunken sein	[bəˈtʁʊŋkn̩ zaɪ̯n]
To be hungover	Einen 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	German	IPA
Cup	Die Tasse	[ˈtasə]
Mug	Der Becher	[ˈbɛçɐ]
Glass	Das Glas	[ɡlaːs]
Wine glass	Das Weinglas	[ˈvaɪ̯nˌɡlaːs]
Champagne glass	Das Sektglas	[ˈzɛktˌɡlaːs]
Pint glass	Das Pint-Glas	[pɪntˌɡlaːs]
Sippy cup (kids)	Die Schnabeltasse	[ˈʃnabl̩ˌtasə]
Plastic cup	Der Plastikbecher	[ˈplastɪkˌbɛçɐ]
Disposable cup	Der Wegwerfbecher	[ˈvɛkˌvɛʁfˈbɛçɐ]
Straw	Der Strohhalm	[ˈʃtʁoːˌhalm]
Cheers!	Prost!	[pʁoːst]
With ice	Mit Eis; Mit Eiswürfeln	[mɪt aɪ̯s; mɪt ˈaɪ̯svʏʁfl̩n]
Without ice	Ohne Eis; Ohne Eiswürfel	[ˈoːnə aɪ̯s; oːnə ˈaɪ̯svʏʁfl̩n]
Bottle	Die Flasche	[ˈflaʃə]
Pitcher / jug	Der Krug	[kʁuːk]
Can	Die Kanne	[ˈkanə]
A shot	Der Shot	[ʃɔt]
Bar	Die 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!