Half the pleasure of a Canarian meal is what's in the glass. The islands have their own beers, their own rum, their own soft drinks and a surprisingly serious wine scene — most of it made locally and almost none of it exported, so this is your chance to drink things you simply can't get at home. From an ice-cold Dorada on a beach terrace to a warming shot of honey rum after dinner, here's what to order and why.
Pair this with our guide to Canarian food and you'll have both halves of the table covered.
Beer: Dorada and Tropical
Canarians are loyal to their local lagers, and the islands split good-naturedly into two camps. Dorada is brewed on Tenerife and rules the western islands; Tropical is brewed on Gran Canaria and dominates the east. Both are crisp, light and made for hot weather — exactly what you want with grilled fish or a plate of papas.
Ordering is easy and fun. Ask for a caña (a small draught, the local default), a tubo (a taller glass) or a bottle. You'll also see Dorada Especial, a stronger, smoother version many prefer, and light or alcohol-free options. A cold caña on a shady terrace is one of the cheapest, happiest rituals of an island holiday.
Which beer you get is a matter of geography and local pride. On Gran Canaria, order Tropical; on Tenerife and the western islands, order Dorada. Ask for the "wrong" one as a friendly joke and watch the reaction.
Photo: Mentxuwiki · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · scaled
Rum: the islands' spirit
Arehucas
The Canaries have a long sugarcane and rum heritage, and the most famous name is Arehucas, distilled at Arucas on Gran Canaria since the late 1800s. Its cellar of ageing oak barrels — many signed by visiting celebrities over the decades — is a genuine visitor attraction, and the aged (añejo) rums are smooth enough to sip. You'll find Arehucas behind almost every bar on the island; a ron con cola (rum and coke) made with it is the standard island long drink.
Ronmiel — honey rum
The one bottle to take home is ronmiel (honey rum) — rum blended with honey into a sweet, golden, lower-strength liqueur. It's smooth, warming and dangerously easy to drink, served chilled or over ice as an after-dinner treat. The best-known brand, Ron Miel Guajiro, is a classic Canarian souvenir and a lovely digestif.
Ronmiel goes down like a soft drink but it's still rum-based. It's sweeter and lighter than a full-strength spirit, which makes it easy to underestimate — enjoy it slowly.
Local wine
The islands' volcanic wines are having a moment, from the crisp whites of Lanzarote's ash-covered vineyards to the food-friendly reds of northern Tenerife. They're made in small quantities and rarely leave the archipelago, so a glass here is a genuine discovery. We've given them their own full guide — see Canary wine for what to order and where the vines grow. For the most authentic pairing of all, drink young house wine straight from the barrel at a Tenerife guachinche.
Soft drinks and the local fizz
Non-drinkers and families aren't left out. Clipper is the beloved Canarian soft drink — a rainbow of fruity, brightly coloured fizzy pops (strawberry, pineapple, lemon and more) that every island child grows up on and every visitor ends up trying. It's the sweet, nostalgic taste of a Canarian corner shop.
You'll also find fresh orange juice (zumo de naranja), mosto (grape must) in wine country, and the usual Spanish soft drinks everywhere. And of course there's the coffee — the islands take theirs seriously.
Coffee and the barraquito
The Canaries have their own show-stopping coffee: the barraquito, a layered glass of espresso, sweet condensed milk, frothed milk, a slug of Licor 43 and a twist of lemon peel with cinnamon. It's dessert, digestif and coffee in one, and it's a Tenerife signature that has spread across the islands. It deserves its own read — see barraquito and coffee for how to order every variation, from a plain cortado to the full layered spectacle.
Tap water vs bottled
This is the one thing worth knowing before you fill a glass from the tap. Water in the Canaries is scarce and much of the supply is desalinated, so quality and taste vary from island to island and even between towns.
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Tap water in most resorts | Generally treated and safe, but often tastes of desalination — many people don't love it for drinking |
| Drinking day to day | Bottled water (agua) is cheap and universally used; buy the big bottles from a supermarket, not the beach kiosk |
| Ordering in a bar | Ask for agua sin gas (still) or con gas (sparkling); a jarra de agua is a jug of tap water |
| Cooking, tea, ice | Fine with local water in almost all resort accommodation |
In short: the water won't make you ill in tourist areas, but most visitors (and plenty of locals) prefer bottled for drinking simply because it tastes better. It's inexpensive — factor a few bottles into your budget and you're sorted.
The short version
Order the local beer for your island, try a real Canary wine with dinner, take a bottle of ronmiel home, let the kids discover Clipper, and finish a long lunch with a barraquito. Do that and you'll have drunk your way through the islands properly — and spent very little doing it.