Pair Your McDonald's Fries With This Fruity Cocktail For A Luxurious Fast Food Experience

There's nothing better than an order of hot, salty fries when you're a few drinks in, at least until you realize the kitchen's closed. It's a common dilemma for many late-night bar-goers, but one that can be easily solved by getting to the nearest McDonald's and those famous french fries. And it's even better if you just so happen to be drinking cosmopolitans, because then you're about to have one of the fanciest fast food experiences of your life.

As part of Tasting Table's guide to McDonald's cocktail pairings, a panel of bartenders determined that the chain's fries are the perfect accompaniment to a cosmopolitan, with its mix of vodka, Cointreau, cranberry juice, and lime. According to our writer, the sweet and tart "cranberry foundation almost mimics the fruity and acidic nature of ketchup," while the Cointreau provides "subtle orange notes with just enough sugar to balance every flavor in this snack-cocktail combo." They also mentioned that the pairing creates that much sought-after sweet and salty combination, as the salt acts as a flavor enhancer while the sugar helps soften any overly salty notes. In other words, having a cosmopolitan with your McDonald's fries is the fast food upgrade you've been waiting for.

Interestingly, the idea of pairing a cosmopolitan with fries has been a part of the pop cultural zeitgeist for over 20 years thanks to "Sex and the City." In a season four episode called "Sex and the Country," there's a scene where Carrie Bradshaw is in a fast food drive-thru and says, "I'd like a cheeseburger, please, large fries, and a cosmopolitan." Despite the problematic drinking and driving, though, that particular line is still a commonly cited quote, to the point where fans use it to caption posts about their cosmopolitans with fries. And taste-wise, they also seem to approve, with a Redditor sharing a photo of their meal to r/SexandtheCity and writing, "It was all delicious."

That said, most of these people — including the fictional Bradshaw — don't seem to be specifically ordering McDonald's fries, but between cost and availability, a trip to the Golden Arches is probably the easiest way to try out this combo. The only potential issue is that you can't exactly order McDonald's fries at a bar, though there are a couple of solutions for anyone who wants to try this combination. Some bars without kitchens will let you bring in your own food, meaning you can sip on your cocktail while feasting on a large order of fries. Or, you can always stop by McDonald's and make your own drink at home using our classic cosmopolitan recipe. Either way, your craving for a luxurious fast food affair will be satisfied.