Tips for Tapas in Spain

First, Congrats!
Second, it depends on where you are traveling regarding free tapas. We have found the farther south the more likely you are to obtain a free tapa (typically the choice of which tapa is the bar's to make).
Curious, why no jamon?
Safe travels!

Ordering tapas has no bearing on what or if you are drinking. We did find that ordering drinks though did get the counter's staff attention & made it easier to order tapas plates when we were ready after getting a feel for the place. It is amazing how they keep track of who orders what! In Catalonia we never received freebie tapas. Remember to check the boards for hot dishes & specialties! Regarding jamon ... http://www.foodswinesfromspain.com/spanishfoodwine/tools/news/NEW2015418530.html!
Enjoy your travels!

Non-alcoholic options are plenty and usually not an issue in getting a snack with your drink, the non-alcoholic drinks could actually cost a bit more than a beer or glass of wine.

As for a free tapa, it is hit or miss, but generally the free options are fairly limited as to being something interesting. Expect lots of potato chips, maybe a piece of bread with a smear of something (tomato paste for example), if you are lucky maybe a small dish of olives or a piece or two of cheese.

Paying for a racion is much more likely, many more interesting options, very reasonable, a bigger portion, almost too much for my taste in that 2-3 racions is a bunch for two people, I would rather have 5-6 very small plates for the same cost. As an example, you can get a racion of olives many places for a few euro, but most times it is more than two people can eat.

Another option to look for is pintxos, basically snacks on a skewer or toothpick. They can range from small to very large, usually a set price per skewer, pick and choose among the choices, make a plate and enjoy.

Thanks all. It sounds like we would have ordered and paid for the more interesting tapas anyway. Good to know I'll have something to drink!

To answer your questions:
- We are going to Madrid, Seville, Granada and Barcelona
- The blanket guidance for pregnant women is to avoid raw and undercooked foods, including cured meats like jamon. Undercooked meat can contain toxoplasmosis, a parasite that is generally harmless to adults but can be dangerous to a fetus and pregnant women. There are debates about if the salt curing process kills the parasite, but to err on the safe side I'll save it for the next trip.

I would not expect a free tapa with drinks. At best it would be some nuts or olives. Everyplace is different. Some have just a chalk board menu, some a real menu and others will have a display counter with most of the tapas. But even those will likely have some kind of menu for hot tapas. In some places you might order at the bar; others with your waiter. As anywhere in Europe, you must get your waiters attention to order something (they don't "check" on you like in the US). It takes a bit of figuring out the system for each place you visit. You will definitely be able to order non-alcoholic drinks.

Bummer about the jamon but understandable. You'll still enjoy the trip.

You can also order a nonalcoholic beer. Just order a cervesa sin alcohol. I noticed that they usually had it on tap right beside the house beer. It wasn't bad tasting and costs less than a coke or bottled water. I think it has a tiny amount of alcohol but not enough to worry about if you are drinking a caña (small glass).

Mosto is noalco grape wine.

There is no standard practice for tapas.

In Granada you usually get a free tapa. Order your drink FIRST, non-alcohol is fine, and the tapa will come. If you order food with your drink - no free tapa.

After a freebie or two, order tapas or raciones.

Often, however, the free tapas includes jamon. It's usually pretty basic but sometimes you may be surprised.

The best place for tapas is Granada because they are free.
They are also free in Leon in the north of Spain.

In Granada there is a "vino sin alcol" called "castillo de Salobreña"
It actually has apple juice in it and it is better than normal vino sin Alcol

There is some more info about tapas here
https://granadainfo.com/tapas.htm

Thanks guys, this is super helpful! Checking out those links now.

Here in La Rioja, in the tourist places there are no free tapas. If you are in a cafe or sitting outside in a terrace they usually give you a small bowl of chips or nuts with your order. I've also been given chicharrones. There is a bar I go to sometimes while waiting to pick up my kids at the conservatory where they do give you a small tapa. Usually a small piece of tortilla, a piece of chorizo, or a slice of cheese. But it is definitely a "locals" bar, way off the tourist path.

As for non alcohol drinks there are many options. There is the 0.0 (alcohol free) beer, and mosto, as mentioned. And also as noted, these are usually more expensive. Here a mosto is €2.10, and a crianza wine is €1.80. Soft drinks are also more than a glass of wine.

As for the ham, my wife didn't touch it during her pregnancies.

Just returned from Spain last Sunday. We almost always received a free tapa with a drink in Granada. Just make sure to order your drink and then wait for the free tapa. If you order food with your drink, you won't receive your free tapa. We received some great tapas for free. A large plate of mixed fried fish, great potatoes with olive oil and bacon (yum!) etc. We also received quite a few free tapas in Madrid. One being some marinated mussels on potato chips... interesting... We loved the food that we ate in Spain but also found it quite rich and difficult to consume the amount of vegetables we are accustomed to. It is easy to drink non alcoholic beverages. When we were done with wine or beer, we would just switch to agua con gas.