What to Drink with Pizza Pizza Discuss What to Drink with Pizza in the Brick Oven Cooking forums; With thanks to Jay for the idea, this is a sticky posting on what is the best thing to drink ...

[james]

With thanks to Jay for the idea, this is a sticky posting on what is the best thing to drink with pizza. We want to hear about that perfect eating and drinking experience. What was on the pizza and what went perfectly with it.

My guess is that this could become one of the more popular threads.

If you are talking about wine, I know Jay was looking for the variety and the bottler.

Salute.
James

[Fio]

In a word, BEER.

For a light and delicate pizza margherita, I would choose a crisp pilsener, hopped with noble hops (saaz, tettnanger, etc.).

For a more substantial pizza, with meat toppings, I would choose a robust porter, stocky pale ale, or stout.

For a deep-dish Chicago pizza, I would be guided by toppings/fillings, but a strong bock will probably fit the bill.

[CanuckJim]

Fio,

Now, that's a man after my own heart. Beer it is. Wine is fine, most of the time, but beer can be better often. However, a question might be where does India Pale Ale fit into your lineup? Here we have Alexander Keith's IPA, which is quite nice if strong, and on the US east coast I've had Harpoon, which I believe is made in Maine.

Jim

[Fio]

In my mind, a hoppy American IPA would go good with pepperoni pizza, where the citrusy hop notes would complement the spiciness of the pepperoni.

Nothing is cut in stone, really. I once attended a lecture on pairing beer with food, given by Garrett Oliver, brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewing Co. It was fascinating. I should get his book.

It's a great thing that "pizza and beer" no longer means Dominos and Bud.

[zopi]

uhhhh..beer.

i like Pieroni with most Italian food..

[CanuckJim]

Fio,

I'm with you on the IPA and pizza, good complementary mix. Here, we have Alexander Keith's IPA from Nova Scotia, tasty if a bit strong on the alcohol percentage.

Jim

[christo]

http://www.northernbrewer.com/docs/html/extract.html

I like homebrew steam beer with my pizza!

Mostly put this up here to keep the spam from showing......

But homebrew and homebrew pizza..... that is heaven - Fio you need to visit!!

Christo

[jjerrier]

Hi All -

When we make Sangria, we typically use Spanish Rioja as the base (the cheapest possible bottle )...but given my extremely weak knowledge of wine, and specifically Italian wine, I was wondering if anyone had a suggestion/recommendation of an Italian red to substitute for the Rioja?? I'd like to do an Italian version of Sangria...

Jay

[jahysea]

Originally Posted by jjerrier

Hi All -

When we make Sangria, we typically use Spanish Rioja as the base (the cheapest possible bottle )...but given my extremely weak knowledge of wine, and specifically Italian wine, I was wondering if anyone had a suggestion/recommendation of an Italian red to substitute for the Rioja?? I'd like to do an Italian version of Sangria...

Jay

Jay.. The wine snob in me says spend more money for your wine, then you won't have to mix it with fruit and juice to make it drinkable.. :-)

But if you are looking for Italian wine somewhat similar to Rioja, I'd recommend Southern Italy. In particular varietal called Nero d'Avola is being imported in large quantities and can be readily found under $10. It's often from Sicily, and can be found in blends (Nero d'Avola/Merlot for example) or as a straight varietal. It's smokey and spicy, usually pretty extracted (full flavored).

The Texas wine market is full of California, Texas, and Australian imported wine. You'd have more Italian choices if you lived in upstate New York!

James, our forum benefactor, both grows grapes in California and lives part time in Italy. He may have more specific advice.....

[jahysea]

Oh, and by the way guys and gals.. I would think it obvious. The Italians have it right, WINE is the perfect accompaniment to pizza.

The sweetness of the San Marzano tomato seems equally well paired with an earthy Pinot Noir (Williams Selyem anyone?), earthy but fruity merlot (Chateau St Jean Sonomoa County?), or even a Cabernet with a bit of age on it. Add some proscuitto or sausage to the pizza and a big Aussie Shiraz (Penfolds Bin 28, Saltram #1, d'Arenburg Dead Arm) stands up just fine.

Beer is for when you are thirsty after mowing the lawn or working on your oven in the hot sun.

I'm of coursed very biased on this topic, so feel free to ignore me and continue sucking down those suds....