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Learning English - The Flatmates

Language Point

Archive Language Point 3
Buying drinks

Most people in the UK drink in pubs with their family and friends. They usually drink beer, wine, spirits or soft (non-alcoholic) drinks.


Amount or container	Drink
A bottle of	beer
A pint of	lager
A half-pint of	bitter
A half of	shandy

Wine is usually served in pubs by the glass but you can also order a bottle to share with friends.


Amount or container	Drink
A bottle of	wine
A glass of	champagne
A large glass of	dry white wine

Spirits (whisky, gin, vodka, rum etc.) are usually ordered by the glass or by the measure (a single or a double) but never by the bottle in a pub.


Amount	Drink	Mixer
A	whisky
A large	vodka	and coke
A double	rum	with ice

a shandy (n):
a drink made by mixing lager with lemonade

champagne (n, uncountable):
fizzy white wine

a G and T (n, informal):
short for a gin and tonic

to buy a round (v):
often when people are in a group, each person takes it in turn to buy drinks for everyone in the group

It's my/your/her/his round
I'll buy everyone a drink

Addressing people informally:
If people know each other very well or if one person is much older than the other one, they might address each other informally using love, dear, hen, or pet. But it's not usually appropriate for a man to use these terms with a woman, in the way that Tim does with Alice