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¿Tomamos unas cañas en el bar?

¿Tomamos unas cañas en el bar?
Shall we have some small beers at the bar?
From Lesson 81:Going for tapas (una caña, un pincho)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about ¿Tomamos unas cañas en el bar?

Why does the translation say 'Shall we have' when tomamos usually means 'we take'?
In Spanish, the simple present tense is often used to make suggestions. Asking ¿Tomamos...? is the standard way to say 'Shall we have...?' or 'Let's have...'.
Why use tomamos instead of bebemos if we are talking about drinking beer?
While beber strictly means 'to drink', tomar (to take) is the most natural verb in Spain for having a drink or a snack. It works just like saying 'to have' a drink in English.
What exactly is a caña in Spain?
Una caña is a small glass of draft beer. It is the most typical way to order a beer in Spain because the small size ensures the beer stays cold while you drink it!
Could I say algunas cañas instead of unas cañas to mean 'some beers'?
It is much better to use unas here. In this context, unas simply acts like the plural of the word 'a' to mean a casual few. Algunas implies a specific quantity like 'some, but not others', which sounds overly specific for a casual invitation.

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