On our French trip in high school, my 17-year-old self encountered that mashup of culture americaine et française: Le Royal Cheese at McDonald’s. We laughed—but cut ourselves short in awe. You could order a BEER with your Mickey D’s pommes frites!
So I was well-versed in the more casual approach to fast-food brew by the time I moved to Portugal nearly 30 years later. A Sagres or a Super Bock with my every-other-month moment of Burger King weakness—it became a fond ritual. It’s not great beer, of course…and it’s not a great burger. But when you’re living abroad sometimes the odd little things give you just the amount of “home” that you need to stay connected to that side of yourself.
Another ritual? The post-flight beer. After a sunset flight over Viseu recently, stowing the airplane, and tidying it up for the club…we needed that libation—but no onsite airport pub to be found. The soft landing? Yes, the BK beer. We were disappointed that the “Whisky BBQ Burger” wasn’t available, but that imperial of Super Bock in a plastic cup was. Aaahhhh….
My first round of BK and beers in Cascais 
Working up a thirst during a sunset flight near Viseu 
The ritual postflight beer at a BK in Viseu