Italian drinks – How to order drinks in Italy

Who among us has never stopped in a café with her friends and ordered something to drink?

Going out with friends is a very common way to relax and chat. And one of the most popular places to do it in Italy is a bar – a café in England or U.S.A.

So, imagine you’re in Italy with your friends – or without them but during your holiday you make new Italian friends – and decide to spend some time relaxing in an Italian bar.

Do you know how to order drinks in Italian?

If your answer is no, worry not and keep reading because ordering Italian drinks in Italy is pretty easy.

HOW TO INVITE PEOPLE OUT FOR A DRINK

I’ll list some simple sentences you can use to invite people out for a drink.

(Cosa ne dici?) Ti va di andare a bere qualcosa?
Are you up for a drink? (referred to the second singular person)

(Cosa ne dite?) Vi va di andare a bere qualcosa?
Are you up for a drink? (referred to the second plural person)

Andiamo a bere qualcosa?
Do you want to go out for a drink?

Now that you’ve invited your friends out, let’s move on to some of the sentences you can use to order Italian drinks in Italy.

ORDERING BEER IN ITALIAN

One of the most popular drink Italians order when in a bar it’s beer.

If you want to know how to order beer in Italian you’ve to learn how the most common types of beer are called in Italian first.

Birra bionda/chiara: pale ale
Birra rossa/ambrata: red ale
Birra scura: brown ale
Birra doppio malto: double malt
Birra alla spina: draft beer
Una pinta: a pint (500ml)

Now you’re ready to order your Italian drinks in Italian.

(Per me) una rossa piccola alla spina
(For me) a red ale draft half pint

(Per me) una bionda grande
(For me) a pale ale served in a one liter glass

(Per me) una pinta/media scura doppio malto
(For me) a double malt brown ale pint

ORDERING WINE IN ITALIAN

If you prefer ordering wine instead of beer, here’s some useful sentences you can use.

Let’s start from a question you can use to ask for the types of wine they have:

Cos’avete di rosso/bianco/rosè fermo/vivace?
What types of red/white/rosé still/sparkling wine do you have?

Now that you know the types of wine they have, it’s time to order:

Un bicchiere di Chianti
A glass of Chianti

Una bottiglia di Verdicchio
A bottle of Verdicchio

If you prefer to order un aperitivo, instead, please have a look at Happy hour or aperitivo – Italian customs.

Good. Now you know how to order drinks in Italian.

Have you ever been in an Italian bar? Did you order some Italian drinks? Which ones?

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Credits

Original image by PhotoMIX-Company