"You want beer with that?" Burger King and Sonic to start selling beer and wine.

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Revvy

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc
HBT Supporter
Joined
Dec 11, 2007
Messages
41,288
Reaction score
3,773
Location
"Detroitish" Michigan
BURGER%2BKING%2BBEER.jpg


bk-whooper-bar-beer.jpg



Fast-food chains tap into beer market.

Want a beer with your burger?

U.S.-based fast food chains have long sold brews abroad, and now they’re getting into the act in some states, though not yet in the Bay State.

Sonic Drive-In plans to sell beer at two new South Florida locations this summer, while Burger King’s Whopper Bars in Kansas City, Las Vegas and Miami also are selling suds. Starbucks, meanwhile, has beer and wine on the menu at some of its Seattle outlets.

And there’s no Massachusetts barrier that precludes the companies from attempting the same here.

“There’s no beverage alcohol law in Massachusetts that prohibits these types of (businesses) from seeking and being granted licenses to sell alcoholic beverages,” said Jon Carlisle, spokesman for the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission.

Fast-food giants might encounter hurdles at the local level, however, and so far no one has taken up the fight.

Gina Monastiero, a local Sonic franchisee with rights to build drive-ins in 41 Bay State communities, doesn’t plan to seek liquor licenses for her Peabody or Wilmington locations. “It’s just not something that I would be interested in doing,” she said.

The Oklahoma-based chain said its two South Florida eateries that will offer alcohol are Sonic Beach locations with cushioned patio seating and TVs. “We hope customers will choose to spend an extended period of time with their families and friends at Sonic Beach,” a spokeswoman said. “There is no intent to extend beer and wine availability to other Sonic Drive-Ins.”

That’s welcome news to Michael Jacobson of the Center of Science in the Public Interest. He considers alcohol sales by fast food joints a “terrible” idea that will further normalize adult drinking in the eyes of kids.

“Fifty years ago, soft drinks were a treat —something families would have on a Sunday or picnic,” he said. “One of the factors that’s changed things so much is that fast-food restaurants have become so widespread and made soft drinks the standard beverage. The same could happen with alcoholic beverages.”
-— [email protected]

Since 7-11 and I think starbucks are making their own wine and beers, I wonder how long to we'll be seeing the Kings face on a bottle of lite lager, or maybe it will be a 40?
 
Lolz. That makes me think of that rap song "sippin on a 40"! I can just see BK playing that over the sound system while I eat my wopper combo with a beer...:fro:
 
Considering Sonic is a drive-in, this poses some interesting open container issues. Still, bad beer or not, I approve of this development.
 
They already have that Whopper Bar in the Power & Light district if Kansas City, MO.

Although with the Flying Saucer and Gordon Biersch right across the street, I have found it hard to try a whopper with a BL....
 
If this catches on it would be nice in certain situations, but I rarely eat fast food anymore so it wouldn't really affect me. Honestly, I'm surprised it took so long.
 
If I ever, "ever", order a "San Mig Light" I want one of you to kick me in the nuts. Repeatedly.

That said, some beer is better than no beer. Perhaps one day they'll have an SNPA or something else that's nice to wash down a crappy burger with.
 
This will never happen in NJ; however, I work in NYC and every fast food place from Mcdonald's to Subway sells beer already. So, I guess this is old news to me.
 
That flame broiling is good,better than McDonald's. We've got other burger & whatever joints around here,but that grilled flavor isn't there. But the prices sure as hell are. And Arabica coffee house? Chinese toilet water. A beer & a whopper would go down good about now.
 
This will never happen in NJ; however, I work in NYC and every fast food place from Mcdonald's to Subway sells beer already. So, I guess this is old news to me.

Wow, I didn't even know. Guess I meant it when I said I rarely have fast food ;)

Oddly enough though, I did grab a Baconator last night on the way home from work at Wendy's.
 
We lived in Mainz Germany, 1974-1977. My last year there they opened a McDonalds in Wiesbaden. I used to eat there a lot, and would always have a big mac, fries and a beer! I was 16 at the time.
 
Considering Sonic is a drive-in, this poses some interesting open container issues. Still, bad beer or not, I approve of this development.

Yeah there was some discussion about that on the news today, madd is of course not happy with this.

It also sounds like the perfect setup for entrapment.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Will they not serve beer through the drive through or to folks sitting in cars?
 
Wow, I didn't even know. Guess I meant it when I said I rarely have fast food ;)

Oddly enough though, I did grab a Baconator last night on the way home from work at Wendy's.

Yeah I don't eat fast food often either. I just take the train to Penn Station often and the beer is exposed to the public as you walk by the fast food places. They also have an ice bucket with beer in it near the register. Some of them even sell craft beers.
 
They should have a twist to this. States say they have no money? Tell these food chains to sell local brews. This would also make more educated beer drinkers.
 
can it get it at the drive thru window?

...just kidding. i would never drink that crappy beer.
 
with sonic and burger king being fast food places with a drive thru, i wonder how well it'll work though? i can just see some one going thru the drive thru of burger king and getting a beer with their whopper and crack open the beer while a cop is behind them in the drive up line.
 
Well at least now you can enjoy a vomit inducing meal vs. a diarrhea inducing meal...
 
That fear that it will "further normalize adult drinking in the eyes of kids" is what gets me there.

Oh no, adults drinking beer with a meal! What kind of immoral country do they think this is, Germany? Think of the children! :eek:
 
Considering Sonic is a drive-in, this poses some interesting open container issues. Still, bad beer or not, I approve of this development.

I concur, it's all about Liberty. If you choose do do something stupid, you pay the price. But everyone else should be able to enjoy the finest beverage on Earth with their double-cheeseburger... It's only a matter of time before some chains bring in craft beers, if the local governments let this happen.
 
I love the beer snobery going on. Yes I would love a greasy burger, from a cow grown in awful conditions, cooked untraditionally, prepared in just a few minutes, and served to me by someone who makes minimum wage and treats me like I am doing nothing but bothering them. But what?? you only have american lagers?? no thank you I will take my business elsewhere.

But yeah I back the whole idea, and I hope it comes to my area.

Another interesting question would be how they would serve it. My guess would be either in a can, or maybe a bottle in some cases, but they don't serve soda in bottles or cans there. It would be pretty awesome to order a draft beer at a fast-food joint. Me and my friends are exactly the type to go to mcdonalds and get loaded. And plus you wouldn't have to tip.

the whole drive up idea of sonic or a drive through doesn't sound like a good idea though. Anybody ever been to Brew-thru in North Carolina? I only went once when I was very young with my parents, but IIRC its basically a drive up 711 beer aisle where you don't have to leave your car
 
Give it a rest. If there were'nt a need for beer-snobbery, we wouldn't do it. I don't see any beef-snobbery websites because no one gives a crap (beside PETA and their crazy spin-offs) how happy the cow was before it was slaughtered, as long as it tastes good. Anyway, there is no difference between me having a burger and a beer at Applebee's or McDonald's; they both make crappy burgers that are more easily choked down with a decent brew in hand. I say bring it on!
 
Let them sell more garbage,i dont have to buy it.Anybody else: Have at. Garbage shure tastes good with "special additives" cooked up in a lab.
 
I do think this is something that the restaurants would make dine in only. Heck they'd probably only allow it after certain hours (in some areas anyway) to avoid the immoral attitude crap. I highly doubt it'd be beer any different from Applebee's or Chile's. Best you'll get is SA Boston Lager and seasonal.

And from what I've seen, at least around here, cops don't care about drunk driving in the first place. If they did they'd wait outside of the McDonald's within walking distance of clubs and bars instead of putting up commercials saying that you'll get locked up for drunk driving.

If you want a macro brew with your 5 double cheeseburgers, you'll still have to stop by Walmart or the gas station.
 
I was told the TGIF is claiming to have craft beer and using craft beer in their cooking, beer breaded fish for example. Personally I think it's pretty cool let's go after that next 5% of the market. This is how it would happen.

Off topic though. No they won't be serving beer through the drive through window thats dumb to even think that. They will probably have one brand only like they do with soft drinks. Bud and BL. I can imagine drinking that stuff through a straw lol. Honestly this doesn't effect me. There are like 20 good burger joints with beer already in Pittsburgh. If thats what I want to do then ill go there. If I want BK for convenience sake then I will be getting Coke as I usually do. No reason for me that they should be blocked from having a liquor license tho imo.
 
Erroneous said:
Annheuser-Busch owns tons of beers. My guess is that it'd be Bud, Michelob, Busch, and some other one like Shocktop or Landshark.

Everyone knows that but I wouldn't expect anything more than Bud and BL tbh
 
Well I know Seaworld has crappy selection (I think just Bud and BL) so it's possible, and they're owned by AB. At least at first, though you know all the drunk retards will constantly be asking "Do you have natty light?" and "I want an MGD 64!!!" so they'd probably carry more eventually.

My wife works at McDonald's. Wonder what she'd say to this other than "Well they already have that in Germany". My guess is that it'd become more of a problem for locations where the lobby stays open all night.
 
I do think this is something that the restaurants would make dine in only. Heck they'd probably only allow it after certain hours (in some areas anyway) to avoid the immoral attitude crap. I highly doubt it'd be beer any different from Applebee's or Chile's. Best you'll get is SA Boston Lager and seasonal.

And from what I've seen, at least around here, cops don't care about drunk driving in the first place. If they did they'd wait outside of the McDonald's within walking distance of clubs and bars instead of putting up commercials saying that you'll get locked up for drunk driving.

If you want a macro brew with your 5 double cheeseburgers, you'll still have to stop by Walmart or the gas station.

You know, i actually went to a Ruby Tuesday and discovered they have Dogfishhead 60 min,it was lunch so i didnt want a beer but asked the waitress if i could buy one and take one home, because they dont sell them in my state at stores. She said "no".I use to get them in Il at a store until they got super big and now my supplier cant get them because Chicago hogged up all of them.Nice:(:mug:
 
Nice. Idk, I'd hate to pay $2-4 (guessing) for a BL at Sonic when I could get a 6 pack of something great for $9. Sure requires time and effort, but my soul feels cleaner.
 
i'd love a beer with a whopper and fries :)

I just imagine they might have a problem if i tried bringing my own..
 
I love a backyard cheeseburger and a beer! Maybe some tots to go along with it. But, a whopper, or a big mac and a beer? nah... doesn't do it for me. The thought of burping that up over and over again doesn't set well.
 
I love a backyard cheeseburger and a beer! Maybe some tots to go along with it. But, a whopper, or a big mac and a beer? nah... doesn't do it for me. The thought of burping that up over and over again doesn't set well.

Agreed!! But on the subject, I think I'll have my lunch at Matt's Bar.... Jucy Lucy and a SNPA!! Thats a burger n a beer!!! :rockin:
 
Back
Top