76 delicious drinks in French to help quench your word thirst
Author
Food and drinks are an essential part of French culture. If you already read our guide to reading restaurant menus and ordering food in French, you’re probably going to need to pair it with a guide to ordering drinks.
In this article, you’ll learn:
- How to order drinks in French
- The most popular drinks in France (soft and alcoholic)
- Drink-related verbs and vocab
- Where to go out for a drink in France
So grab a glass of your favorite beverage, and let’s dive into all types of beverages in French!
How do you say “drinks” in French?
First things first. In French, “drink” is “boisson”, and “drinks”, “boissons”. Not to be mixed with “poisson”, which means “fish”. However, if you prefer “poisson” over “boisson”, check out these awesome animals in French.
In Québec, they also use the word “breuvage” — from the English “beverage” — which is funny to French people as it sounds a bit “Middle-Age”.
How to order drinks in French
Here are a few common phrases to order drinks in French. You might also want to check out these numbers in French, in case you’re ordering for your friends!
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je voudrais une bière, s’il vous plaît. | I would like a beer, please. |
| Pourrais-je avoir un verre d’eau, s’il vous plaît ? | Could I have a glass of water, please? |
| Une carafe d’eau, s’il vous plaît. | A carafe of water, please. |
| Une orange pressée/Un jus d’orange frais, s’il vous plaît. | A squeezed orange juice, please. |
| Un café noir, s’il vous plait. | A black coffee, please. |
| Un café au lait, s’il vous plaît. | A coffee with milk, please |
| Un verre de vin rouge, s’il vous plaît. | A glass of red wine, please. |
List of drinks in French
From hot drinks in French to cold drinks in French, we have beverage options for all tastes. Keep reading!
Water in French
There is no life without water. Therefore, it’s the first drink you should learn in another language!
| English | French | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Water | Eau | o |
| Still water | Eau plate | o platə |
| Mineral water | Eau minérale | o mineɾalə |
| Tonic water | Eau tonique | o tɔnikə |
| Soda water | Eau gazeuse | o gazøzə |
| Bottle of water | Bouteille d'eau | butɛjə do |
| Tap water | Eau du robinet | o dy ɾɔbine |
| Glass of water | Verre d'eau | vɛrə do |
| Spring water | Eau de source | o də suɾsə |
| Flavored water | Eau aromatisée | o aɾɔmatizeə |
Cold non-alcoholic soft drinks like sodas and juices in French
If you visit France in summer, these cold beverages in French will come in handy.
| English | French | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Juice | Jus de fruits | ʒy də fɾɥi |
| Soda | Soda | sɔda |
| Orange juice | Jus d'orange | ʒy dɔɾɑ̃ʒə |
| Lemon juice | Citron pressé | sitɾõ pɾɛse |
| Lemonade | Limonade | limɔnadə |
| Milk | Lait | le |
| Fruit juice | Jus de fruits | ʒy də fɾɥi |
| Vegetable juice | Jus de légumes | ʒy də legmə |
| Nectar | Nectar | nɛktaɾ |
| Syrup | Sirop | siɾo |
| Ice coffee | Café glacé | kafe glase |
| Milk with grenadine syrup | Bébé rose | bebe ɾozə |
| Milk with mint syrup | Bébé vert | bebe vɛɾ |
Hot drinks in French
In France, coffee is virtually available in any bar. Most will also offer other hot drinks. So if you want to learn how to order coffee in French, we've got a fun guide for that.
From hot chocolate in French to tea in French, here are the most common ones.
Multilingual coffee lovers will also enjoy this article on how to order a coffee in 12 languages.
| English | French | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee | Café | kafe |
| Tea | Thé | te |
| Green tea | Thé vert | te vɛɾ |
| Black tea | Thé noir | te nwaɾ |
| Hot chocolate | Chocolat chaud | ʃɔkɔla ʃo |
| Chai latte | Chai latte | ʃe latə |
| Cappuccino | Cappuccino | kapykino |
| Espresso | Expresso | ɛkspɾɛso |
| Drip coffee | Café filtré | kafe filtɾe |
| Herbal tea | Tisane/infusion | tizanɛ/ɛ̃fyzjõ |
| Coffee with milk | Café au lait | kafe o le |
| Long coffee | Café long | kafe lõ |
Cocktails and mixed alcoholic drinks in French
In France, alcoholic drinks are strongly related to social gatherings. Cocktails and mixed alcoholic drinks will mostly be found in bars, night clubs and at private parties.
| English | French | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Margarita | Margarita | maɾgaɾita |
| Gin and tonic | Gin tonic | ʒɛ̃ tɔnik |
| Mojito | Mojito | mɔʒito |
| Caipirinha | Caipirinha | k(e)piɾina |
| Punch | Ti-Punch | ti-pœ̃ʃ |
| Bloody Mary | Bloody Mary | bloɔdi maɾi |
| Kir | Kir | kiɾ |
| Kir royal | Kir royal | kiɾ ɾwajal |
| Soupe Angevine | Soupe Angevine | sup ɑ̃ʒəvinə |
| Mimosa | Mimosa | mimoza |
| Blue Lagoon | Blue Lagoon | blɥə lagoõ |
| Boulevardier | Boulevardier | buləvaɾdje |
| Sidecar | Sidecar | sidəkaɾ |
| Serendipity | Serendipity | səɾɑ̃dipiti |
| Piña colada | Piña colada | piña kɔlada |
| White Lady | White Lady | witə ladi |
| Marquisette | Marquisette | maɾkizɛtə |
| Embuscade | Embuscade | ɑ̃byskadə |
| Sangria | Sangria | sɑ̃gɾja |
| Jungle Juice | Jungle Juice | ʒœ̃glə ʒɥisə |
| Pastis | Pastis | pasti |
Beer in French
As in many countries around the world, la “bière” is very popular in France. Most bars offer the most popular national and international brands, as well as local craft beer. You will also find different flavored beers — usually mixed with “sirop”.
| English | French | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| A pint of beer | Une pinte de bière | ynə pɛ̃tə də bjɛɾə |
| Ale | Bière | bjɛɾə |
| Lager | Bière blonde | bjɛɾə blõdə |
| Stout | Stout | stu |
| Dark beer | Bière brune | bjɛɾə bɾynə |
| 33 centiliters beer | Demi | dəmi |
| 33 centiliters beer with peach syrup | Demi pêche | dəmi pɛʃə |
| Beer with grenadine syrup | Monaco | mɔnako |
Wine in French
Wine is almost always present on a French table, whether it’s a family reunion or a restaurant dinner. You’ll also find wine in regular bars and “bars à vin”. In November, all French bars offer the very popular “Beaujolais nouveau”. More on this tradition in this video.
| English | French | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| White wine | Vin blanc | vɛ̃ blɑ̃k |
| Champagne | Champagne | ʃɑ̃paɲə |
| Red wine | Vin rouge | vɛ̃ ɾuʒə |
| Rosé | Rosé | ɾoze |
| A glass of wine | Un verre de vin | œ̃ vɛrə də vɛ̃ |
| Mulled wine | Vin chaud | vɛ̃ ʃo |
| Sparkling wine | Vin pétillant/mousseux | vɛ̃ petijɑ̃t/musø |
| A bottle of wine | Une bouteille de vin | ynə butɛjə də vɛ̃ |
| Terroir | Terroir | tɛrwaɾ |
| Pairing | Accord | akɔɾ |
| Organic wine | Vin biologique | vɛ̃ bjɔlɔʒikə |
Drink-related verbs
Here are a few verbs you might need in a variety of situations… No further details needed!
| English | French | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| To drink | Boire | bwaɾə |
| To be thirsty | Avoir soif | avwaɾ swaf |
| To be potable | Être potable | ɛtɾə pɔtablə |
| To be drunk | Être ivre | ɛtɾ ivɾə |
| To be tipsy | Être pompette/éméché(e) | ɛtɾə põpɛtə |
| To sip | Siroter | siɾɔte |
Other important drink-related vocab
The vocab below will allow you to impress your francophone friends and take your French skills to the next level. “Santé” to you!
| English | French | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Cup | Tasse | tasə |
| Mug | Mug | my |
| Glass | Verre | vɛrə |
| Wine glass | Verre à vin | vɛr a vɛ̃ |
| Pint glass | Verre à pinte | vɛr a pɛ̃tə |
| Champagne glass | Flûte à champagne | flyt a ʃɑ̃paɲə |
| Sippy cup (kids) | Gobelet antifuite | gɔbəlɛt‿ ɑ̃tifɥitə |
| Plastic cup | Gobelet en plastique | gɔbəlɛt‿ɑ̃ plastikə |
| Disposable cup | Tasse jetable | tasə ʒətablə |
| Straw | Paille | pajə |
| Cheers! | Santé ! | sɑ̃te ! |
| With ice | Avec des glaçons | avɛkde glasõ |
| Without ice | Sans glaçons | sɑ̃ glasõ |
| Bottle | Bouteille | butɛjə |
| Pitcher / jug | Pichet/carafe | piʃɛt/kaɾafə |
| Can | Canette | kanɛtə |
| A shot | Un coup | œ̃ ku |
| Refreshment | Rafraîchissement | ɾafɾ(e)ʃisəmə |
| Carbonated | Gazeux/gazeuse | gaz(ø)ks/gazøzə |
| Bar | Bar | baɾ |
| Teahouse | Salon de thé | salõ də te |
| Virgin drink | Boisson sans alcool | bwasõ sɑ̃z‿ alkoɔl |
Where to go out for a drink in France
1. Wine
French wine is famous worldwide and readily available all over the hexagone. Every French region is in a permanent rivalry for the most unique “terroir”. From Burgundy, Champagne and Bordeaux to the Loire and Rhône Valleys, without forgetting the Languedoc region, wine is a serious affair.
And don’t worry, even if a lot of people claim to be amateur “œnologues”, many of them are just showing off. Also, price isn’t necessarily linked to quality.
You’ll find wine in bars, restaurants, dedicated “bars à vin”, at any grocery stores, liquor store and of course directly at the vineyard.
Finally, fancy restaurants usually offer pairing menus.
2. Spirits and beers
From local draft beers to the most popular brands, you’ll find beer at any bar, pub or supermarket. While beer is offered in most restaurants, wine is a lot more typical to accompany a meal.
Spirits can be bought at grocery stores, liquor stores, bars and nightclubs. Most restaurants will also offer cocktails and liquors as “apéritif” (before a meal) or “digestif” (after a meal). In fancy restaurants and at weddings, you might be surprised to see a sorbet with liquor served between courses. It’s called a “trou Normand”.
3. Cold soft drinks
Most bars offer sodas and juices, and some will have fresh orange juice and lemon juice.
Syrups are also very popular in France, especially grenadine and mint.
Asking for a glass or a jug of tap water is very common and not rude.
4. Hot drinks
Any French bar and restaurant will serve coffee. While the selection might not be as extensive as a popular green coffee chain, you’ll always find at least “expresso”, “café noir” and “café au lait”.
Hot chocolate is very popular in winter, sometimes mixed with Chartreuse licor in the Alps. So is “vin chaud”, hot wine mixed with spices.
Standard tea and herbal tea is readily available in bars and restaurants.
Popular drinks in France
When I was a child, my favorite drink was a “bébé rose” (pink baby). Nowadays, this mix of cold milk and grenadine syrup is still a favorite, along with the green version “bébé vert”, with mint syrup.
For grown ups, the most popular drink is definitely wine, as well as Pastis in the Southern region.
4 ways to say “I’m drunk” in French
You got a little too excited about drinks with your French-speaking amis/amies or in a Francophone country? Well, it happens. If you’re tipsy, check out this video to handle the situation with French class! You’ll find some of these expressions in our article on French slang. Now, you might need a “verre d’eau”...
What happens when you drink a little too much in France? 🤪🍻 🔞
You’re now ready to conquer the French food and drink scene. And while alcohol might help you with your confidence in French, remember to drink with moderation — with a classic French drinking song. Santé !
