Drinking in Spain
 

I'll be traveling alone (as a single older female) for 4 days late Sept/early Oct. Going to Granada and Seville.

Question: I don't drink but want to experience tapas in the local bars. What are some good non-alcoholic drinks? And can you get iced coffee?

Thanks in advance

You're planning on going to a tapas bar and won't drink anything but non-alcoholic drinks, or iced coffee? Good luck! !Suerte!

Water is always available. Having a coke, or drinking one of the many different fruit drinks that are available is fine, if not a little strange in a tapas bar, but it may be a little difficult finding iced coffee anywhere in Spain and certainly not where tapas are being served. Coffee is generally not served until after you've eaten, as a general compliment to your meal, and unless you're fluent in Spanish, you'll have a difficult time explaining to anyone in Sevilla or Granada why you want ice in your espresso. There are no Starbucks anywhere in the area that I'm aware of.

You might have better luck finding something resembling iced coffee at one of the larger international hotels that cater to foreigners, but then the tapas will be somewhat sub par.

hi cybil
dont worry too much really. I dont drink either, "no tomo" means i dont drink, the waiters will be very understanding about that normally. You can have soft drinks anywehre, though i found them to be frightfully expensive. Spanish coffee is divine, though rather strong compared to what we are used to here in the States.
enjoy spain..buen viaje

If you go to the bar and eat "at the bar", there are basically no rules. Want a coffee? Order a coffee. with your Jamon? No problem! Don't be afraid to get it the way you want.

Yes, there is iced coffee " cafe con hielo" which is usually rather strong, you might want to water it even more for a meal...

"Mosto" is a sweet nonalcoholic grape juice drink similar to wine, but fruitier.

try a "san francisco".. a non alchoholic fruity drink that places ( real bars, not normal cafés where you would sit at a "bar")make for "abstemios" as we are called here! it is sweet though.
also ask what they have "sin alcohol".
my husband loves the german non alcoholic beers.

Hi Cybil, I do not drink either and enjoyed several Tapa Bars in July without needing luck! I like the Limonada which is a lemon flavored carbonated soft drink and compliments Tapas. You will have a wonderful time. I have never seen iced coffee, but haven't looked very hard either.

I don't know if you like the taste, but you can actually order non-alcoholic beer in most tapas bars. I do it all the time.

We drank a lot of Fanta Limons ("lee-mon") when we were hung over in Spain. Not as sweet as a US soft drink.

I was chatting with a bar/restaurant owner in el Puerto de Santa Maria last year: When I expressed surprise at the fact that they had cerveza 'sin alcol' on tap he told me that he sells as much 'sin alcol' as the regular cerveza.

I guess it's because the Spanish police are 'cracking down' on alcohol-related traffic incidents / acccidents and offenses.

So, you can just order a 'cerveza sin alcol.' If they don't have it on tap they will have it in bottles.

My wife can't stand the taste of beer, so she just orders water or limonada.

The only "strange" thing about not drinking alcoholic beverages in a tapas bar will be the dufus next to you who keeps insisting to themselves, and people like you, that you have to drink alcohol in order to have a good time.

Have a great trip!