Drinks in GermanHot & Cold Beverages | 50+ Vocabulary Words
Coffee, tea, still water & martinis - if you want to ask for a drink in German, you gotta know some vocab. Luckily for English speakers, many words are the same or very similar. Enjoy your milkshakes!

If you're looking for German drinks vocabulary, you've come to the right place. We've compiled a big list of all kinds of different drinks you might want to order, buy or mix yourself.
Common German Drinks Vocabulary
Before looking at the different names for drinks in German in more detail, let us give you a quick overview of common German drinks. Here are some common hot beverages in German:
German | English |
---|---|
der Kaffee | coffee |
der Tee | tea |
die heiße Schokolade | hot chocolate |
die heiße Milch mit Honig | hot milk with honey |
die heiße Zitrone | hot lemon |
And here are some common cold drinks in German:
German | English |
---|---|
das Bier | beer |
der Wein | wine |
die Limonade | lemonade |
das Wasser | water |
die Cola | coke |
If you want to dive deeper, keep on scrolling.
Coffee in German
Coffee is a popular drink here in Germany, and there are many different kinds of coffees you can order here. The word for "coffee" itself is "Kaffee".
If you order a coffee at a cafe in Germany, you might ask for a "Espresso", "Cappuccino", or "Latte Macchiato".
German | English |
---|---|
der Kaffee | coffee |
der schwarze Kaffee | black coffee |
der Filterkaffee | filter coffee |
der Espresso | espresso |
der Cappuccino | cappuccino |
der Flat White | flat white |
die Latte | latte |
Of course you might also want to ask for "Zucker" (sugar) or "Milch" (milk) to be added.
This post is about different drinks in German, so we won't go into detail about how to order a coffee. But if you're looking for something like that, we have good news: We wrote a full guide on how to order a coffee in German.
Tea in German
Another popular beverage in Germany is tea (der Tee). If you order a cup of tea at a cafe or restaurant here in Germany, you might want to order a specific type of tea such as "Grüner Tee" (green tea) or "Schwarzer Tee" (black tea).
German | English |
---|---|
der Tee | tea |
der schwarze Tee | black tea |
der grüne Tee | green tea |
der Eistee | iced tea |
der Kräutertee | herbal tea |
Soft Drinks in German
Soft drinks, also known as "Erfrischungsgetränke" in German, are a popular choice for many people in Germany. Some common soft drinks in Germany include "das Mineralwasser" (mineral water) and "die Limonade" (lemonade).
German | English |
---|---|
das Mineralwasser | mineral water |
die Limonade | lemonade |
die Cola | coke |
die Fanta | fanta |
die Sprite | sprite |
der stille Wasser | still water |
Wasser mit Kohlensäure | sparkling water |
If you are looking for a sweet, carbonated drink, you might order a "Cola" or a "Fanta".
In addition to these mainstream brands, you can also find a variety of smaller, local soft drink brands and flavors.
In Berlin, Fritz Cola is very popular (be careful though, it's highly caffeinated) and Club Mate is a drink very popular in the clubbing scene here in Berlin (and also contains lots of caffeine).
Juices in German
Juices, or "Säfte" in German, are also really popular here. There are many different types of juices available, including those made from fruit, vegetables, or a combination of both.
German | English |
---|---|
der Orangensaft | orange juice |
der Apfelsaft | apple juice |
der Mangosaft | mango juice |
der Granatapfelsaft | pomegranate juice |
der Möhrensaft | carrot juice |
das Kokosnusswasser | coconut water |
Some common juices in Germany include "Apfelsaft" (apple juice), "Orangensaft" (orange juice), and "Tomatensaft" (tomato juice). In addition to these staple juices, you may also find a variety of more exotic flavors, such as "Ananas-Saft" (pineapple juice) or "Mangosaft" (mango juice).
Beers & Wine in German
Germany is known for its delicious beers and wines, and there is a wide variety of both available. Let's have a look at beers first.
Some common types of beer in Germany include "Pils" (pilsner), "Weizenbier" (wheat beer), and "Dunkel" (dark beer). In addition to traditional beers, you may also find a variety of craft beers and other specialty brews. Maibock.
German | English |
---|---|
der Wein | wine |
der Naturwein | natural wine |
der Rotwein | red wine |
der Weißwein | white wine |
das Bier | beer |
das Weizenbier | wheat beer |
das Dunkelbier | dark beer |
das Schwarzbier | black beer |
der Champagner | champagne |
der Prosecco | prosecco |
As for wine, Germany & Austria are known for their white wines, particularly those made from Riesling grapes. Some common German / Austrian white wines include "Riesling" and "Grüner Veltliner".
Spirits in German
While the older generation often drinks "Schnaps" as digestif after meals, many younger people like to consume their Schnaps as a pre-drink before a night out. The words for spirits in German are pretty much the same as in English:
German | English |
---|---|
der Rum | rum |
der Whisky | whisky |
der Tequila | tequila |
der Vodka | vodka |
der Cognac | cognac |
der Jägermeister | jäger bomb |
Germany is also home to a variety of traditional and regional liqueurs (with the most popular of these probably being "Jägermeister").
These liqueurs are often flavored with herbs, spices, or fruit. Gin from the black forest is quite popular too. A secret tip is "Von Hallers Gin" - a herbal gin made after a recipe by the German polymath & botanist Albrecht von Haller.
Cocktails in German
Just like spirits, the German names for cocktails are the same as in English.
The only difference here is that the German version comes with an article, which is easy to remember in these cases:
German | English |
---|---|
der Gin & Tonic | gin tonic |
der Old Fashioned | old fashioned |
der Martini | martini |
der Negroni | negroni |
der Pina Colada | pina colada |
der Mojito | mojito |
der Aperol Spritz | aperol spritz |
der Caipirinha | caipirinha |
As you can see, for cocktails, the article is pretty much always masculine.