Pizza & Beer, an Endless Love
Pizza and beer – “it’s a love story, baby, just say ‘yes.’” (Even Taylor would agree.) Lucky for us, there’s a day to celebrate that sweet, sweet love with October 9th being International Beer and Pizza Day.
Beer can be traced back to 5000 BC originating in the Middle East and North Africa, more specifically in the regions of Iran, Egypt and Mesopotamia. While pizza, in its most primitive form, dates back to ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. (Therefore, it could be presumed that Egyptians, at the end of a hard day’s work building pyramids, literally relaxed with a beer and pizza!) The more modern version of pizza was borne during the 16th to 18th century and originated on the western coast of Italy, in Naples.
To make the most out of your next beer and pizza meal, it is key to intertwine your pizza toppings with a specific brew, resulting in a holy matrimony that your tastebuds will certainly approve of.
Cheese pizza – mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, ricotta – can be the starting point for a fancy pizza with a variety of toppings, or pretty glorious all on its own. The simplicity of cheese pizza allows you to go almost any which-way when it comes to choosing a beer. Fruited sours are fabulous for bringing out flavors and notes in the cheeses used, while an IPA’s hoppiness will still shine without drowning in a pool of crazy topping flavors, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with the K.I.S.S. method and keeping it simple with a plain old cheese pie combined with a clean, crisp lager.
Meat pizza – pepperoni, sausage, bacon, chicken, ham – brings the complexity of spices, salt, and a fatty richness. If you’d prefer your beer to hold up to the bold flavors of the incorporated meats on your pizza pie then it is best to go with a bold choice of beer such as a West Coast IPA, Belgian witbier, or farmhouse ale, perhaps even venturing into darker territory with a Dunkel. If you prefer the meat to be the center of attention on your palate, then a simpler, cleaner brew such as a pilsner or Kölsch might be a better option. My go-to with pepperoni pizza is a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale – it has the perfect balance of hops in relation to the greasy richness of the salty pepperoni, where the beer and pizza flavors coexist harmoniously.
Veggies – mushrooms, onions, peppers, olives, spinach, broccoli; all these different vegetables provide different flavors, but the overarching earthiness to a veggie pizza is undeniable. A farmhouse ale or a Saison, both with earthy, funky notes of their own, only serve to complement the variety of vegetable toppings that your little heart desires.
Fruits – pineapple, figs. Love it or hate it, Hawaiian pizza is actually a thing with its pineapple and ham focal points. If you’re into this interesting concoction of a pie, a Hefeweizen or a fruited Gose is a match made in heaven as it plays with the sweet tropical pineapple and saltiness of the ham. A literal luau in your mouth!
Herbs – basil, garlic, oregano, arugula. Enter your basic, but oh-so-tasty, Margherita pizza here! The fresh, bright basil combined with heavy drops of milky mozzarella and unadulterated crushed tomato sauce as a base, makes for an herbaceous, creamy, sweet, and earthy pizza pie. The goal is to compliment and underscore the fresh ingredients and not overpower them – a light lager, pilsner or a Kölsch will do just that.
Sauces – pesto, barbecue sauce, hot honey, buffalo, ranch. So many sauces, so little time!! Buffalo chicken wing pizza, a personal favorite, paired with an American Amber ale like New Belgium’s Fat Tire is [*chef’s kiss*]! The toasty caramel notes pair sublimely with the spicy kick of the hot sauce and either ranch or blue cheese depending on personal preference. Amber ales and dark lagers also meld nicely with barbecue chicken pizza!
Are you salivating like Pavlov’s dog yet? Likely. There’s no better way to alleviate your craving than to order a pie from your favorite pizza joint and grab a six-pack from the grocery store, all in the name of celebrating an international holiday! Even better, October 9th also happens to fall on Thursday this year, which means, beer, pizza, AND football!
Love is truly in the air.
Cheers!
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