Double Trouble: Pair Pizza with Beer for Double the Fun
We all know that beer and pizza go together (in fact, during the 2014 Pizza Cup our readers voted beer as their favorite liquid accompaniment to pizza), but the question is which beer should you drink with which pizza? We asked the beer-crazy folks at Vandergeeten to recommend their favorite pizza pairings (and tacked on a few suggestions of where to try them out – all the pizzas listed are available for delivery via the restaurant or via Sherpas).
Warsteiner Premium Verum and flammkuchen
Warsteiner Premium Verum is a pilsner-style beer with a fresh, clean, perfectly balanced taste, crowned by a froth head and mild, crisp hop finish. It goes very well with German dishes such as flammkuchen, a thin pizza base topped off with bacon, onions, and sour cream (no tomato).
Tripel Karmeliet and seafood pizza
Tripel Karmeliet is one of the most famous beers in Belgium. The beer has a rich citrusy aroma and a dark golden to bronze brew, with a very foamy head. A bit dry, but the alcohol flavor makes the beer and excellent thirst quencher, with a hoppy aroma. The reason for its popularity is the combination between fine aroma and bitterness. The brewery recommends combining this beer with seafood and the fruity flavor goes well with a variety of fresh fish.
Try it with: The Rug's shrimp scampi pizza (RMB 148)
PALM Amber Beer and beef pizza
Special PALM is the absolute number Belgian amber beer. The unique amber malts determine PALM's flavor: mild caramel with a hint of honey and fruit. It takes a fresh, flavorful beer to go with beef pizza and a cold PALM will help take the beef taste to the next level.
Try it with: Tube Station's black pepper beef pizza (RMB 135 medium, RMB 190 large)
Chimay Triple and cheese pizza
Chimay Triple has fruit notes of muscat and raisins, which gives it a particularly attractive aroma. There is no acidity, but there is a bitter after-taste that goes well with a variety of strong tasting cheeses. Chimay Triple's carbonation helps bring out the flavor of cheesy pizza.
Try it with: Bottega's quattro formaggi pizza (RMB 98)
Steenbrugge White and bacon pizza
Steenbrugge White is what Belgians would call a real Abbey beer, Belgian monks brew this beer with 40 percent unmalted wheat and 60 percent malt. The refreshing flavor combines with the smoky yeast aroma is a treat for the mouth. The key with bacon pizza is finding a beer that will complement rather than overpower the bacon flavor. Moreover Steenbrugge's smoky yeast and smoky bacon are the perfect partners.
Try it with: Gung Ho! Pizza's smoked pork and mushroom pizza (RMB 86)
La Cuvee des Trolls and pepperoni pizza
Cuvee des Trolls is a blond beer, and comes either filtered or unfiltered. Fresh and scented, well-balanced, and highly digestible, it has an alcohol content of 7 percent. It is characterized by the unique qualities of Dubuisson Brewery, specifically, it is brewed in the traditional way, is 100 percent natural, and has no additives. It takes a beer with strong character like Cuvee des Trolls to enhance the spicy flavor of pepperoni pizza.
Try it with: Annie's pepperoni pizza (RMB 48 small, RMB 58 large)
Kasteel Rouge and chocolate pizza
Kasteel Rouge's unique color is obtained by mixing Kasteel Brown that has been matured for at least six months with sour cherries. This beer has gastronomic qualities and can be drunk as an aperitif, with a barbecue, or to accompany dessert. Due to its fruity flavor, this beers goes very well with chocolate pizza.
Try it with: Pizza+'s nutella pizza (RMB 20/slice, RMB 72/whole pizza)
Lindemans Pecheresse and chicken pizza
The fresh, fruit peach-scented beer has a rich lambic bouquet and beautiful golden color. As with all Lindemans bottles there is a perfect balance between fruit and acidity. The light, sparkling taste goes well with equally light dishes, such as chicken pizza.
Try it with: Annie's chicken leg pizza (RMB 58 small, RMB 68 large)
St. Louis Kriek and barbecue pizza
St. Louis Kriek is a delicious lambic beer with the taste of cherry, the perfect summer thirst-quencher. Its particularly fruity flavor offers a perfect balance between sweet and sour. A pizza with barbecue toppings needs a beer that will not overpower it, but create a balance, just like St. Louis Kriek.
Try it with: Tube Station's barbecue chicken pizza (RMB 125 medium, RMB 155 large)
Trappistes Rochefort and tuna pizza
Trappistes Rochefort featuees a mellow, nougat-like solidity, and a slightly spicy character with hints of licorice ending in a warm finish that brings to mind caramelized bananas. The bitterness remains in the background, emerging delicately in the finish. This flavor profile goes well with all kinds of fish, making it a good fit for tuna pizza.
Try it with: Pizza+'s cold tomato and tuna pizza (RMB 18/slice, RMB 62/whole pizza)
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