Pizza has been an American favorite for as long as modern generations can remember, and craft beer has been creeping onto the scene as a trend that will probably stick around. Put them together and what do you get? An extraordinary flavor experience. An article in PMQ Pizza Magazine explains that beer can complement the tomato’s acidity, its hops and acidity balance the fat and salt of the pizza’s cheese, its flavors can expertly blend with pizza seasonings to create a fusion of flavor, and the beer’s malt matches the flavor of the pizza’s crust. For this piece, we’ll stick to a cheese pizza — New York style pizza, of course! — with no toppings, but changing your pairings to go with the type of pizza will enhance the flavor composition of the meal. Here are some beers from the area to try with your favorite local pizza, along with some eateries that serve beer along with a pie. Pair These Local Craft Beers With Your Pizza If you want to keep things simple, you generally won’t go wrong by choosing a pilsner or a lager since these styles give you the best fit with regular cheese pizza, the PMQ Pizza Magazine article notes. Also, go for a balanced brew to get the best results. See if your favorite brewery has recommendations for the best pizza match or if your favorite pizzeria suggests a beer to pair with its pies. Even though there’s a bit of a science to beer and pizza pairing, and since you’ll find differing opinions on which types of beers pair best, part of the fun is to try different beers with your pizza and see which combination tantalizes your particular taste buds the best. Here are a few beers brewed in the state for you to consider pairing with your pizza: Flavorful Options: Try these local craft beers and similar styles if you want the full flavor experience of beer ingredients fusing with and complementing pizza ingredients: Sixpoint Brewery’s The Crisp Pilsner KelSo Beer Company’s Pilsner Heartland Brewery’s dark option: Bavarian Black Lager, or light option: Empire State Premium Lager Brooklyn Brewery’s Brooklyn Pilsner or Brooklyn Lager Mild and Light Options Some prefer a light beer because of the heaviness of pizza or because they don’t want the beer to overwhelm a pizza with a mild flavor. In this case, try these and similar options: The Blind Bat Brewery’s Beached Blonde Yonkers Brewing Co.’s Honey Blonde Water Street Brewery’s Beyond Blonde Check Out These Establishments for Beer and Pizza Combos Some local pizzerias make it easy for you by offering craft beer choices in their establishments that are designed to go with the pizzas. Here are a few for you to try: Motorino (Spots in the East Village and Williamsburg): this restaurant offers some local New York choices, including Porkslap Pale Ale and Ommegang Witte. (Website) Co. (Chelsea): the beer selection includes some local choices such as Fire Island Pumpkin Barrel Ale and Empire Nut American IPA. (Website) Goodfella’s (Lower East Side): this place created a pairing menu with craft beers to go with its pizzas. (Website) Barboncino (Crown Heights, Brooklyn): this pizzeria offers a selection of craft beers along with its wood-fired pizza. (Website) As you can see, combining these two favorites goes far beyond just enjoying a beer as a refreshing and casual sidekick to a piece of pizza. We know it’s a difficult and painstaking task that lies in front of you, but go and try countless craft beers to find the one you like best for your pizza. Just try to have a little fun in the process.
