Over at Lifehacker, Claire Lower makes a surprisingly compelling case for pairing champagne with fast food:
I've talked about Champagne's ability to make fatty food sing before, with a focus on Thanksgiving, and the qualities that make Champagne so good with turkey and mashed potatoes are the same qualities that make it absolutely stunning with fast food. Its bright, bubbly, acidic nature makes it the perfect foil for fat and salt, the two ingredients that make fast food appealing in the first place. Chicken nuggets, cheeseburgers, pizza, and any other kind of fatty, savory takeout all benefit from the dry wine's laser-sharp, palate-cleansing tartness. (It prevents your tongue from becoming saturated, allowing you to eat more.)
I'm not saying you have to break out the Veuve Clicquot every time you order a Quarter Pounder, but you should try the combination at least once, perhaps on your birthday, New Year's Eve, or the birth of a child. Capital-C Champagne is fiscally impractical for everyday consumption, but any super dry sparkling wine will work. I am partial to the Trader Joe's Blanc de Blancs, which is from "somewhere in France," incredibly dry, and way better than it has any right to be at that price point (six whole American dollars).
I'm gonna try this on the weekend. I don't regularly drink champagne — I actually can't remember the last time I had it. But I do eat McDonald's with some frequency (last weekend, during a short road trip). I love this idea.
(CC-2.0-licensed photo via the Flickr feed of McDonalds' itself)
