Beer is sold everywhere in the world, from fancy restaurants to street stalls or beach bars, in bottles, cans and glasses. However, not all of them will have waiters who can speak English and understand your request.
Here's how to say "I'd like a beer please" in a variety of languages, along with the best beer each country has to offer. Keep these tips handy for your next trip.
Australia
- You should say: "A schooner (or a jug/a pot/a pony), please".
- You will get different sized glasses of beer, depending on your choice. The sizes (schooner/jug/pot/pony) in different states will also have slightly different volumes. Accordingly, if you order a schooner, you will get a 425ml glass in most states, but in South Australia, you will only get a 285ml glass. One of the famous beer brands here is XXXX.
Virtue
- You should say: "Ein Bier, bitte".
- It is difficult to name the best beer brand in this land of cold beers. In Germany, people drink beer regardless of winter or summer, at any time of the day, at festivals, at beer museums or simply with their daily meals.
There are an estimated 1,200 breweries across the country, with the majority concentrated in the southern states of Bavaria and the Franconia region, centered around Munich and Bamberg. Many people therefore refer to a trip to the region as a “beer” trip.
In addition, you can also choose to come to Germany during the beer festival seasons to join in the fun, bustling and friendly atmosphere here. The main beer festivals: Fasching (in Bavaria) in February, Starkbierfest (in Munich) in March, Schützenfeste (in Hanover) in July, Oktoberfest (in Munich) from September to October, Cannstatter Volksfest (in Stuttgart) in October...
Visiting museums to learn about the beer drinking habit that is inseparable from German culture is also a good suggestion. Famous museums: Beer Museum in Dortmund, Beer Museum in Lüneburg or Schwaebisches Beer Museum in Stuttgart.
Denmark
- You need to say: "Een oel, tak".
- Best beer: Carlsberg. There are many beers in Denmark with different flavors and alcohol levels. However, the most famous is probably the homegrown beer brand that has made a name for itself in the country. You can order Carlsberg Pilsner or Royal Pilsner, which are low in alcohol.
China
- You need to say: "Qǐng gěi wǒ yībēi píjiǔ".
- Best beer: Tsingtao, also known as Qingdao beer. Tsingtao beer was brewed by the Germans and British in Qingdao city since 1903 and was first served at a kung fu match in late 1904.
According to the producers, this beer is crystallized from the streams on Laoshan Mountain in Shandong Province, about 30km east of Qingdao. With spiritual beliefs, people believe that the water from this Taoist place helps to make Qingdao beer taste so delicious. Today, Tsingtao beer is the most popular beer in China and is also the country's main export beer brand.
Czech Republic
- You need to say: "Jedno pivo, prosím".
- The best beer: Pilsner Urquell is bottled in the city of Pilsen. In most restaurants and pubs across the Czech Republic, a glass of beer is even cheaper than water.
Russia
- You need to say: "Pivo, pozhaluysta".
- Best beer: Baltika. The brewery was founded in 1990 and became a 50% Carlsberg company in 1992.
Since 2008, it has been 88.86% owned by Carlsberg. Since its inception, Baltika has expanded rapidly and is today the largest beer producer in the Russian Federation and Eastern Europe. Since 2008, it has become the company with the largest market share in Russia and Eastern Europe.
France
- You need to say: "Une bière, s'il vous plaît".
- The best beer: beers originating from Belgium. In addition, in recent years, the trend of drinking craft beer has been very popular throughout France. You can buy them at bars in big cities. Among them, the most famous bars in Paris for this type of beer are La Fine Mousse, Express de Lyon, Le SuperCoin.
Ireland
- You need to say: "One beer, please!".
- Best beer: Guinness. This is the number 1 beer in this country with a very impressive annual consumption. If you rush to enjoy a glass of beer as soon as it is offered, you will quickly be considered unsophisticated. You have to wait at least 2 minutes for the beer to reach its best flavor, with a shiny black color, bitter taste, and a slightly fatty layer of dreamy foam.
Italy
- You need to say: "Una birra, per favore".
- Best beer: Peroni Nastro Azzurro with 5.1% alcohol content, is one of the most famous beer brands in the Mediterranean. They use pure water carefully tested by experts, spring-grown malt, premium corn and hops to create an unforgettable taste.
Japan
- You need to say: "Bi ichi ru o ichi-pon kudasai".
- Best beer: Asahi, Kirin or Sapporo. These are the most famous beers in Japan. According to Japanese tradition, when invited to drink beer, you should not pour the glass to the top, but leave a small empty space. Similarly, you should not drink the entire glass of beer, this shows that you are "suggesting" the other person to pour more beer for you. This is considered rude. However, these rules are no longer strict today.
Netherlands
- You need to say: "Een bier, alsjeblieft".
- The best beer: Classic Heineken, a beer brand born in this country in the 1800s with a secret recipe, which to this day remains a mystery rumored by many people.
Spain
- You need to say: "Una cerveza, por favor".
- The best beer: Mahou or San Miguel. In Spain, bars sell beer in glasses of different sizes. The smallest is the caña, which is the size of a drinking glass, the Tubo (a tall glass, about 300ml), the Botella de cerveza (a 300ml beer bottle), the Bottelín de cerveza (a small bottle of 175ml), the Jarra or Tanque (the largest glass).
Argentina
- You need to say: "Una cerveza, por favor."
- Best beer: cold Quilmes beer brewed in Buenos Aires.
Croatia
- You need to say: "Jedno pivo, molim".
- Best beer: Karlovačko, Croatia's national beer brand, brewed in Karlovac.
