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The perfect complement: A shake or root beer

From fast food joints with uniform patties to fancy burger bars offering gourmet toppings, the hamburger has a certain nostalgia.

From fast food joints with uniform patties to fancy burger bars offering gourmet toppings, the hamburger has a certain nostalgia.

There's something about holding that squishy white bun with two hands and biting down into that perfect juicy burger that brings people back to childhood. So when looking for a beverage to pair with a burger, go back to your early years.

George Motz, documentary filmmaker of "Hamburger America" and author of "Hamburger America: A State-by-State Guide to 100 Great Burger Joints," suggests staying true to the classics - shakes and crafted root beer.

"Many times I've pulled up to a drive-in, and I'm compelled to order a chocolate shake or a homemade root beer because nostalgically they go well with a burger," Motz says. "Or if I'm in a dark bar, a beer helps to round out that burger experience."

Motz, who has tasted thousands of burgers across the country and eats several burgers a week, is a believer in what he calls the "whole burger experience." By that he means burgers taste best when enjoyed in the right atmosphere with the right people.

"So yes, the chemistry of a perfect burger moment has a lot to do with nostalgia. And if it takes a root beer to reach that moment, then that's what I'm having," he says.

"For some, putting down a grease bomb is riddled with guilt. But for most, a hamburger is just lunch," Motz says. "A shake or a root beer can make that experience complete."

- The Associated Press