No matter where we are, we all need to drink water every day. What else is there to know about drinking in Europe?
Smart travel is all about adjusting to local customs, and that includes how to keep your thirst quenched. You will probably spend a lot more money on drinks in restaurants in Europe if you want to drink the same way you do at home. You will also miss out on an important part of the culture. Cold milk, ice cubes, free water, and coffee with (rather than after) your meal are American habits. Insisting on any of these in Europe will get you strange looks, and often prove fruitless.
To save money, fill up your water bottle with free tap water (it’s great to drink almost everywhere in Europe), don’t buy drinks at restaurants, watch how much you spend in coffee shops and bars, and learn how to ask for tap water. And whether your budgets tight or a little more free-flowing, when you do order, drink the local stuff.
Europeans are known for being water experts, but they usually pay extra for bottled water with their meals because they like the taste, not because it’s good for them. It’s hard for restaurant servers to understand why you wouldn’t want good bottled water with your good food.
Luckily, its never expensive to order a half-liter of bottled water. It is served crisp and cold, either with or without carbonation. Some Americans dont like the bubbly stuff, but I do. Learn the phrase for “with gas” (con/avec/mit/con) or “without gas” (senza/sans/ohne/sin) in Italian, French, German, and Spanish, and you’ll get your point across. Acquire a taste for acqua con gas. Its a lot more fun (and read on the label what itll do for your rheumatism).
You can get tap water, but you might need to be nice, patient, creative, and know the right phrase. Different countries offer and are willing to serve different types of tap water. In Belgium, you’ll have to pay for it, and in Denmark too, unless you order something else. Giving away free tap water is sometimes seen as a special favor. A glass or carafe of it is usually served politely, but sometimes you may decide it’s not worth the trouble.
If youre a coffee lover, it pays to know the ground rules in various caffeine-loving countries.
Italy and France have some of the best coffee cultures in Europe. In fact, the American favorite espresso-based coffee style got its start in Italy. If you ask for “un caffé” (Italian) or “un café” (French), you’ll get a shot of espresso in a small cup. Espresso is the base of most coffee drinks. Hot water and/or steamed or foamed milk are added in different amounts. Before noon, locals are served milky drinks like a cappuccino, caffè latte (Italy), or café au lait/café crème (France). Tourists can get them at any time of the day. Cappuccino is a breakfast drink in Italy, and anything with milk or cream after a meal or later in the day is thought to make your stomach upset. Italians also think it’s gross to drink milk after eating anything with tomatoes. It’s only a splash of milk in a caffè macchiato (Italy) or noisette (France) after lunch. You are welcome to ask for a coffee with more milk later in the day, but don’t be shocked if you get a strange look.
Ask for a caffè americano (Italy) or un café allongé (France), which is espresso mixed with hot water. This is the closest thing to brewed coffee you can get. In Britain, Germany, and Scandinavia, coffee shops are more likely to serve brewed coffee, but there are also a lot of espresso shops in these states these days.
Turkish coffee is not a type of coffee; it’s a way of making coffee. The coffee grounds float on top of the brew, leaving a layer of “mud” at the bottom of the cup. Youll also find this style of coffee in Greece (Greek coffee) and the Czech Republic (turecká káva). Its typically drunk as a digestive after dinner and sometimes after lunch. If you want sugar in these places, you have to ask for it when you place your order, because it’s added while the coffee is hot.
In Europe, alcohol made in the country is almost always less expensive than your favorite imported brand. It’s often even less expensive than juice and American soft drinks. An American drink would cost more than an American drink in Portugal. A shot of the local hard drink would cost a dollar.
More importantly, trying locally produced alcohol can be a great cultural experience. If you go to any bar in Scotland and ask for help with what to order, you’ll find that people there are very interested in finding and describing the whisky that fits their personality. Each guy in the pub has “his” whisky. And the flavors (fruity, peppery, peaty, smoky) are much easier to actually taste than their wine-snob equivalents.
In France, geography plays a big part in the countrys liquid pride. Terroir (pronounced “tehr-wah”) is a uniquely French concept. Terroir means “somewhere-ness.” It is made up of the soil, geology, climate (both large and small), and culture (the people who work there and their craft). The French dont call a wine by the grapes name. Even though they are made from the same grape, two wines can have very different tastes because of where they come from. A real Chablis made from the Chardonnay grape is better than Chardonnays made elsewhere because of its terroir.
There’s nothing better than having a Manhattan in your hotel room with a guy from Los Angeles. Instead, drink local drinks with locals in local bars. Drink wine in wine countries and beer in beer countries. Sample the regional specialties. Let a local person order you her favorite. You may hate it, but youll never forget it.
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