Typical Drinks of Argentina
Argentina
Mate: This is one of Argentina's national obsessions. It is a type of non-alcoholic infusion of Yerba Mate leaves steeped in hot water (much like making a tea) and drunk through a filtered straw.
Every where you go, no matter what the time of year or what is happening around you, you will see Argentineans carry around their large thermos full of hot water, ready to fill their special cup or mug. It is considered a very social drink, often shared between close friends and the ritual involved is very welcoming. While many locals drink it without sugar, we don't recommend it, at least try adding orange peel to cut the bitterness. In one traveler's humble opinion it tastes like grass though I (Rob) personally like it... and I guess millions of Argentineans can't be wrong either.
Beer: The most common beer is Quilmes (you've probable seen the name on many of the football club shirts) and you will see light blue bottles of this pale lager everywhere you go. In Patagonia, in the southern part of Argentina, there are some great microbreweries with fierce competition between them to produce better and better beers. Both Oktoberfeast and St. Patrick's Day are celebrated in Argentina, more because of marketing by beer companies than for any other reason.
Wine: Malbec is one of the best wines found in Argentina and some good wine is produced in the Mendoza region. Interestingly Argentina is the fifth largest producer of wine in the world that almost all of it is consumed within the country.
Fernet with cola: Fernet is an Italian spirit made from a number of herbs and spices. In Argentina it is mixed with Coke and considered the national drink by many. Due to local demand, millions of liters of Fernet Branca are now produced in Argentina every year.
We have only just started this page and we know we are missing a lot so if you have any drink that is typical of Argentina that we haven't put up yet, please let us know.
If you would like to learn more about different typical food of Argentina read our Argentina Food Guide.
If you found this guide about Argentina drinks interesting or useful, let others know about it.
