You may not be able to BYOB to Burger King or McDonald’s, but why not swing through the drive-thru and take your food home to pair with a bottle of booze? It’s important to pair food and drinks because we digest them usually at the same time.
The appropriate drink can greatly enhance anyone’s food experience, so in celebration of Fast Food Day, we decided to experiment with the right combinations of beer, wine and other boozy beverages for an array of popular South African fast food favourites.
Burger King Whopper with Cheese
Class-up that Whopper with a cool-climate pinotage from the Hemel en Aarde Valley in South Africa. This finely made red wine from Ataraxia doesn’t overpower the smokeyness of the flame-broiled burger patty. The combo makes for a heavenly burger experience!
KFC Hot Wings
The chicken’s flavour is overpowered a bit by the spice and vinegar, neither of which lend themselves especially well to wine. Rather go for a sweet spirit cooler, like MOKAI Cult Pink Apple. It works well with the spice and really liven up the wings.
McDonald’s Big Mac
When you think of burgers, you think big and fatty. But this Mickey D’s classic ain’t your usual 200g patty with meaty juiciness, so you don’t need a big, monstrous wine to pair with it. The Stellenbosch Hills Shiraz 2015 is juicy, easy, and friendly. The wine hasn’t seen a ton of oak or have a lot of tannin to it. To me, it kinda screams Big Mac.
Nando’s Peri-Peri Chicken
Flame-grilled and basted in a nice and spicy peri-peri sauce. This award-winning Pilsner from Striped Horse will not interfere with the spiciness flavour of the chicken too much, but it will cleanse your palate so you can have another quarter.
Dunkin Donuts
Open a bottle of whisky. Open a box of Dunkin Donuts. Eat, drink and be merry! If you really must know why this combination works, it’s because this Macallan Fine Oak 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch has a strong malty backbone that pairs nicely with something sweetness. Pretty much any donut will do. Or no donut really. Go ahead and top-up your crystal glass!