Beverages

Just like food, street beverages are a direct reflection of a society’s culture and a region’s terroir. In Italy, a coffee to go is an unusual request. Most people take the time to sit down in a street café and enjoy the beverage and the view. Germans take great pleasure in their favorite beer in one of the many famous biergartens, and many Mexicans like to start the day with Hot Chocolate with Masa, known as champurrado, accompanied by a Churro.

Despite all cultural differences, the time of the day universally determines beverage preferences. Energizing drinks like coffee, tea, or yerba maté are in high demand during the morning hours or late afternoon. Popular cold beverages for the early hours include fresh juices or smoothies. Throughout the day, refreshing beverages like lemonade; Peruvian Purple Corn Drink, known as chicha morada; or a Mexican fruit drink, like Lime Agua Fresca with Chia Seeds, are appreciated. Alcoholic beverages are often part of celebrations or distinct seasons. Mulled red wine is a popular hot drink to keep warm at open-air Christmas fairs in Northern and Central Europe. During the hot summer in Portugal and Spain, sangria, a fruit-flavored wine punch, can be found at public events and gatherings. Caution is advised, however; in many regions, serving as well as consuming alcoholic beverages in public is regulated by very strict governmental rules, with hefty fines for violators.