Wine is clearly the most popular beverage in Portugal, but let’s not forget about cervejabeer !Ordering a draft beer in Portugal will typically cost you about 1€ – 3€ (or even less if you go with a bottle)!
In mainland Portugal, the most common types are light, lager-style beers from 2 companies: Super Bock (made in the north) and Sagres (made in the south). You will see these two the majority of the time, but craft beer is starting to become more prevalent, with other brands such as Sovina, Letra, and Musa making an appearance. On the island of Madeira, the primary option is Coral, and on the Azores, you’ll drink Especial.
You can also sometimes find different varieties, such as cerveja pretadark beer . Recently there has been an effort to promote beer as more upscale. The idea is to market it as an alternative to wine, so you’ll notice brands releasing “premium” beers that pair with certain dishes, such as Sagres Bohemia and Super Bock 1927. For those who don’t drink or who will be driving, you also have the option of cerveja sem álcoolnon-alcoholic beer .
As we said, most bars and restaurants serve Super Bock or Sagres lagers (one or the other), so you typically don’t need to specify the type unless you see multiple options. However, if you’re ordering a draft beer (à pressão ), you will need to specify the size:
uma lambretaa 15cl draft beer
um finoa 30cl draft beer, in the North of Portugal
uma imperiala 30cl draft beer, in the South of Portugal
uma canecaa 50cl draft beer, literal - a mug
A caneca is the closest thing to a “pint” of beer. It’s slightly larger than an American pint and slightly smaller than a UK pint.
When it comes to bottled beer, we have:
uma garrafaa bottle
minis25cl bottles of beer
In addition, there are a few drinks made by combining beer with other beverages:
um panachebeer with lemon-lime soda
um tangobeer with red currant juice
um dieselbeer with Coca-Cola
Once you’ve ordered your beer, the most important thing to learn is how to say Cheers! There are a few options:
Saúde!Cheers!, literal - Health
À nossa!To us!, literal - To ours
Tchim tchim!Cheers! - mimicking the sound of glasses clinking together
Now that you know some important vocabulary for ordering a beer in Portugal, let’s see how it all fits together in this dialogue: Pedir uma Cerveja