We have learned a lot in the last few weeks, so I thought we should have a little fun today in honor of Pizza and Beer Day on October 10th.
For those that know me know I can pair beer with anything, from Halloween candy to white fluffy clouds in bright blue skies, but what you might not know is that I am picky about pizza toppings. The pairing recommendations in this lesson were discovered through personal experience and extensive research.
Cheese – This stripped-down classic deserves a classic beer! Reach for a crisp lager or a lightly hopped pale ale. These beers will accentuate the saltiness of the cheese while balancing the sweetness of the sauce.
Hawaiian – Since I am firmly in the “pineapple doesn’t belong on pizza” camp, I am relying on others for this pairing. Since this pizza is a little sweet and a little salty you will need a beer that elevates the tropical sweetness of the pineapple but also softens the saltiness of the ham. There is only one beer style that can do both and that is a light fruit ale.
Vegetarian – People who choose to eat vegetarian pizza describe it as an abundance of delicate flavors (I will take their word for it). Even though there are a lot of flavors in a vegetarian pizza, you don’t want your beer to overwhelm them, so the best beer for a slice of veggie delight is a Kolsch.
Now on to pizza I know a thing or two about, those pizzas without fruits or veggies!
Pepperoni – This is a pizza that I would pair with a hop-forward IPA, something that will bring out the spiciness of the meat. While researching this article I did uncover something interesting. A couple of people suggested pairing an American brown ale with a slice of pepperoni. I honestly, would never have thought of this pairing, but it has given me some food for thought.
Meat Lovers – Just as with a pepperoni pizza one can always play it save a grab a pint of your favorite IPA or DIPA (remember high ABV will increase the spiciness of the toppings), to pair with a slice of meat lovers. Another, and more interesting suggestion is a dark smoke beer such as a Rauchbier.
As we have discussed in other pairing lessons, these are merely suggestions, nothing is written in stone. The one thing I learned while researching Beer & Pizza Day is to think outside of the box. Pizza can be a very flavourful and diverse food. A Trappist Dubble pairs with pesto chicken. Wash down a Fully Loaded slice with a Maibock. The combinations are endless.
BONUS PAIRING!
Today is National Fluffernutter Day. For those of you that don’t know what a Fluffernutter is, it is a sandwich of peanut butter and marshmallow fluff squished between two slices of white bread. If I thought I could eat a Fluffernutter (damn, I love that word), I would wash it down with a coffee or milk stout. I know this sounds super sweet but remember the pairing rule of like things go together!