Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Este batido es muy cremoso.

In many Latin American countries, batido can refer to what English speakers might call a smoothie (fruit + milk or water) or sometimes a milkshake.
In Mexico, you’ll more often hear licuado for a fruit-and-milk drink and malteada for an ice-cream milkshake, but batido is still understandable.
Context usually makes it clear: if it’s made with ice cream, people may think milkshake; if it’s mostly fruit and milk/juice, they may think smoothie.

So Este batido es muy cremoso is something like “This smoothie/milkshake is very creamy.”

Why is it este batido and not esta batido?

Because batido is a masculine noun in Spanish.

Este = this (masculine, singular)
Esta = this (feminine, singular)

Since batido is masculine singular:

este batido = this shake/smoothie (correct)
esta batido would be wrong, because esta must match a feminine noun (for example: esta bebida, esta sopa).

What’s the difference between este, ese, and aquel?

All three mean some kind of “this/that”, but they show distance (in space, time, or context):

este batido – this shake (close to the speaker, or very “present” in the conversation)
ese batido – that shake (a bit farther from the speaker, or less “mentally close”)
aquel batido – that shake over there / that shake (distant) (physically far away or more distant in time/importance)

In real conversation, many people mainly use este and ese, and aquel tends to sound a bit more formal or emphatic.

Why is it es muy cremoso and not está muy cremoso?

Both es muy cremoso and está muy cremoso can appear, but the nuance changes:

es muy cremoso: treats “being creamy” as a general, inherent characteristic of this type of shake or of this particular shake overall. “(By nature) this shake is very creamy.”
está muy cremoso: focuses on how it is right now, as a current state or result. “(Right now / this time) it turned out very creamy.”

In many contexts, either can sound natural, but ser (es) leans to permanent/defining qualities, and estar (está) leans to temporary/state-based qualities.

Why is it muy cremoso and not mucho cremoso?

Because muy is used with adjectives and adverbs, while mucho is mainly used with nouns (or sometimes as an adverb on its own).

muy + adjective:
- muy cremoso = very creamy
- muy frío = very cold
mucho + noun:
- mucho batido = a lot of shake / a lot of smoothie
- mucho azúcar = a lot of sugar

So:

muy cremoso ✔ (correct: very creamy)
mucho cremoso ✘ (incorrect in standard Spanish)

Why is the adjective cremoso placed after the noun (batido cremoso) and not before (cremoso batido)?

In Spanish, the default position of descriptive adjectives is after the noun:

un batido cremoso = a creamy shake
un café caliente = a hot coffee

Putting an adjective before the noun usually adds some special emphasis, style, or subjective tone, and it doesn’t always work with every adjective.
Cremoso batido is not how people naturally say it; it sounds odd or poetic at best. For a normal, natural sentence, use batido cremoso (and here, because of the given sentence, este batido es muy cremoso).

How does cremoso change for feminine and plural nouns?

Cremoso must agree with the gender and number of the noun:

Masculine singular: cremoso
- el batido cremoso (the creamy shake)
Feminine singular: cremosa
- la sopa cremosa (the creamy soup)
Masculine plural: cremosos
- los batidos cremosos (the creamy shakes)
Feminine plural: cremosas
- las salsas cremosas (the creamy sauces)

In Este batido es muy cremoso, batido is masculine singular, so cremoso must also be masculine singular.

Could I just say “Es muy cremoso” without este batido?

Yes. If it’s already clear from context what you’re talking about, you can simply say:

Es muy cremoso. = It’s very creamy.

Spanish often omits the subject when it’s understood. In a conversation where you’re obviously referring to a drink you’re tasting, Es muy cremoso is completely natural.

What’s the difference between este batido, el batido, and un batido here?

They all mean “shake / smoothie”, but they focus differently:

este batido = this shake (a specific one that is near you or that you’re holding/tasting)
el batido = the shake (specific, but without emphasizing physical closeness)
un batido = a shake (non-specific; any one)

In your sentence, Este batido es muy cremoso highlights this particular one that you have in front of you.

Is Este batido es muy cremoso formal or informal? Can I use it in any situation?

The sentence itself is neutral and can be used in both informal and polite contexts:

With friends: totally natural.
At a café, speaking to a server or talking about a product: also fine.

If you want to sound extra polite, you would usually adjust other parts of the conversation (like usted vs tú), not this sentence. The structure [Este X] es muy [adjective] is standard and widely usable.

How do you pronounce batido and cremoso?

Approximate pronunciation (Latin American):

batido: ba-TEE-do
- Stress on the second syllable: ti.
- The b is like English b, and d is a softer d, often with the tongue lightly touching the teeth.
cremoso: kreh-MOH-so
- Stress on the second syllable: mo.
- c before r = k sound.
- The s is like the English s in see (no “sh” sound).

Can cremoso be used for other foods and drinks, not just batido?

Yes. Cremoso/cremosa is widely used for any food with a creamy, smooth, rich texture:

una sopa cremosa – a creamy soup
un queso cremoso – a creamy cheese
un café muy cremoso – a very creamy coffee (often with foam/milk)
una salsa cremosa – a creamy sauce

So once you know cremoso, you can use it in many similar situations, not only with batido.