February 9th is National Pizza Day! And that’s mean only one thing — pizza night! We decided to help you out and take on the task of choosing the best drink pairing for pizza, because we know that sometimes it can take ages to choose the perfect drink and pizza combo.
The beauty of pizza is that it is versatile and it goes well with everything. Beer? Give me two! Wine? Yes, please. Martini? Why not! When choosing alcohol pairing for pizza, it is important to pay attention to the pizza’s main toppings. Check out our advice on the best-matching alcohol and pizza and choose your fauvorite pairing to celebrate National Pizza Day!
Top Beer and Pizza Pairings
It's hard to find more perfect couple than beer and pizza. These two ideally complement each other creating a delightful combination. Here are a few tips on how to pair hoppy and pizza.
A plain pizza calls for a clean and crisp beer which is not too loaded with flavour as it will overwhelm the pizza. Next time you order, for example, cheese pizza, get a few bottles of Small Beer Lager, which is a classic Pilsner-style lager with a citrus nose and subtle bitterness on the finish. The mild bitterness of the beer will accentuate the cheese’s saltiness, it can also go well wit pizza with tomato sause balancing the sweetness of tomatoes.
When you choose a spicy pepperoni pizza, we recommend you go with the Original Small Beer Steam which is rich in taste and flavour. Bursting with rye and wheat and balanced by a beautiful citrus backbone, this beer can bring out the spice of the pepperoni while balancing out the saltiness.
One more delightful complement to sausage and veggie pizza is Dark Lager. Coffee and toast notes followed with a hint of dark chocolate on the finish will bring just enough chocolate notes to pair with the sausage and it is clean enough to let the veggies do their thing.
Delicious Wine and Pizza Couples
When pairing wine and pizza, think about the wine that’s not going to compete with the mix of components in pizza. For example, when you have cheesy pizza with tomato sauce, choose the wine to match the acid intensity. A great pairing for tomato based pizza is Sauvignon Blanc or sparkling wine.
Vegetable pizza and a glass of dry Rosé is a good combination as well. With its gentle notes of citrus and herbs, it complements the similar flavours of the vegetables. Rosé is also a perfect Margherita parinig as fresh aromatic notes of the wine go great with other fresh ingredients such as tomatoes and mozzarella.
If you are a sausage pizza lover, pair your pizza with red wines, such as Syrah or Malbec. These wines have intense dark fruit flavours of blackberry, plum and blueberry that's why they work well with rich meats like sausage as well as with the spices and spicy sauces.
If you don't like "heavy" sausage pizza or too cheasy Margherita, try a light and herbal salad pizza, which will go well with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. It has a significant tartness and ‘green’ flavors that work perfect with greens toppings. Besides, Sauvignon Blanc is a perfect complement for other pizza ingredients such as cheese, herbs, and garlic.
Best Cocktails and Pizza Pairings
While beer and wine are classical drinks to enjoy with pizza, pairing it with a mixed drinks is not something to fear — you just have to make sure that the flavours of your drink go well with the toppings of your choice. Here are our fauvorite cocktail and pizza couples.
Spritz and White PizzaThis fizzy, bittersweet delight goes well with cheese or a choice of white pizza. We recommend you to experiment and instead of classical Aperol or Campari bitters, try a Victory Bitter, made with British wheat spirit and infused with botanicals and fruits including gentian root, orange peel, apricot, rosemary, sage and fig. Mix it with your fauvorite sparkling wine and tonic, add a slice of orange, and the perfect match for white pizza is ready.
Whisky-ginger cocktail and Vegetarian Pizza
Try to pair your Vegetarian pizza with a mix of two parts of whisky and one part of ginger ale over ice. This whisky-ginger drink is aromatic and tastefull mixed drink and it is a delicious simple pizza pairing.
Manhattan and Cheese PizzaManhattan is a classical mixed drink made with whisky, sweet vermouth, angostura and orange bitters. This combination pairs perfectly with cheese pizzas.
Negroni and Margherita
Next time you have your fauvorite Margherita pie, make yourself a glass of Negroni, combining 1 ounce of gin, 1 ounce of vermouth and 1 ounce of Victory Bitter. Garnish it with orange peel and the perfect marry for Margherita is ready. Both herbaceous and refreshing, the Negroni and the Margherita were meant for each other.
Martini and Pizza with onions
Are you a fan of pizza with onions? The next time you get it, consider paring the pizza with a dry, gin-based Martini. Combine London Dry gin with a spalsh of dry vermouth and garnish it with olives or lemon twist. You can also play up the saltiness of the pizza by making a dirty Martini, just add a splash of olive brine and you are ready to go!