Alcoholic drinks are part of many social settings across the French-speaking world. What people drink, and the words they use for it, vary by region.
A few basic terms will help you recognize what is on a menu and talk about what you want to drink.
Beer types and sizes
Beer has a long history across the French-speaking world, especially in Belgium.
What you see on a menu can vary by region, particularly when it comes to beer styles and serving sizes:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| une bière | beer |
| une bière pression | draft beer |
| une bière en bouteille | bottled beer |
| un demi | small draft beer |
| une pinte | pint / large draft beer |
| une bière blonde | pale / blonde beer |
| une bière brune | dark beer |
| une bière blanche | wheat-style white beer |
| une bière sans alcool | non-alcoholic beer |
You'll see and hear the word demi in bars, cafés, and restaurants. If you order un demi, however, you're asking for a glass of beer, not half a liter.
Choosing and ordering wine
Wine has an important place in several French-speaking regions, particularly in France, Belgium, Switzerland, and parts of Canada. At the table, you do not need to know much about wine to start.
Using color is one of the simplest ways to describe what you want:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le vin | wine |
| le vin rouge | red wine |
| le vin blanc | white wine |
| le vin rosé | rosé |
| le vin pétillant | sparkling wine |
At a café or restaurant, the next choice is often how much you want. Wine may be available by the glass or bottle, and some places also serve it by the pitcher:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un verre de vin | glass of wine |
| une bouteille de vin | bottle of wine |
| un pichet de vin | pitcher of wine |
Put the color and quantity together when you order. You can also ask whether a wine is available by the glass:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je voudrais un verre de vin rouge. (polite) | I'd like a glass of red wine. |
| Je vais prendre un verre de rouge. | I'll have a glass of red wine. |
| Un verre de blanc, s'il vous plaît. | A glass of white wine, please. |
| On va prendre une bouteille de rosé. | We'll have a bottle of rosé. |
| Vous avez du vin au verre ? | Do you have wine by the glass? |
After it's obvious you're talking about wine, un verre de rouge and un verre de blanc are enough.
Cocktails, spirits, and other drinks
Beer and wine are not the only choices you'll see on a drinks menu. Cocktails and spirits use many words that are similar to English, while sans alcool is useful when looking for a non-alcoholic option:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| l'alcool | alcohol |
| une boisson alcoolisée | alcoholic drink |
| un cocktail | cocktail |
| un spiritueux | spirit / liquor |
| sans alcool | alcohol-free |
L'apéro
Un apéritif, usually shortened to un apéro, is a drink before a meal. But l'apéro can also mean an informal get-together over drinks, often with snacks. It does not necessarily lead to a meal.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un apéritif / un apéro | pre-dinner drink / aperitif |
| un digestif | after-dinner drink |
The drink at l'apéro might be beer, wine, a cocktail, or something else.
Un digestif
A digestif comes at the other end of the meal. Traditionally served after eating, it is usually a small measure of a stronger alcoholic drink, meant to be sipped rather than drunk quickly.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un digestif | after-dinner drink |
| une eau-de-vie | fruit brandy / distilled spirit |
| le cognac | a grape brandy produced in the Cognac region |
| l'armagnac | a grape brandy produced in the Armagnac region |
| le calvados | an apple or pear brandy produced in Normandy |
Ordering a drink
Ordering a drink can be simple. In a bar or café, you can name what you want and add s'il vous plaît, or use je vais prendre or je voudrais for a complete sentence:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Une bière, s'il vous plaît. | A beer, please. |
| Je vais prendre un demi. | I'll have a small draft beer. |
| Je voudrais un verre de blanc. | I'd like a glass of white wine. |
| On va prendre une bouteille de rouge. | We'll have a bottle of red wine. |
| Vous avez des cocktails sans alcool ? | Do you have alcohol-free cocktails? |
From learning to practice
When you order a drink, you can combine a few simple words for the drink, type, and serving size. Recognizing terms such as un demi, un verre de blanc, and l'apéro will help you understand a menu and decide what to ask for in bars, cafés, and restaurants.