A Slice of Pizza Beer
They say if you want people to pay attention all you have to do is put up signs that say “free beer” or “free pizza”. It seems the same holds true when you put pizza in your beer.
Walking around Chicago’s supreme liquor warehouse, Binny’s South Loop, I’d spotted a case off tri-color bottles labeled Mamma Mia Pizza Beer sporting the cheesy faces of a couple of floppy Chef Boyardee-style chef hatted folks dubbed Chef Tom and Chef Athena. Turns out Tom and Athena Seefurth are just as cheesy as their pictures suggest. A closer look confirmed this was an ale brewed with oregano, basil, tomato, and garlic. Intellectually, I wanted to wretch, but as a man who loves organ meat, I know you always find great eats in unexpected places.
Surely Chef Tom and Athena knew this, as the bottles were marketed as singles and not in multi-packs. For a $1.99, even if it tasted like Natural Light or Milwaukee’s Best, my wallet wouldn’t sweat it.
The whole thing was developed on Labor Day in 2006 when the Seefurths, who hail from Campton Township, IL, left with a surplus of tomatoes, a bag of garlic, and a spring garden full of herbs decided to create the perfect home brewed beer to pair with pizza. They actually bake a margarita pizza and throw it into the mash to steep, along with garlic, tomatoes, and spices. After perfecting the home-brewed batches, the Seefurths contracted Wisconsin root beer kings Sprecher Brewery to make the retail brews.
Despite my culinary intrepidness, I left the bottle in the back of my fridge for a month, slightly fearful of drinking the stuff. Then last week, as I made a margarita pizza on some leftover naan, I remembered the bottle.
It’s a decent brown style ale, with only a hint of oregano and tomato. Like a good wine, it actually amplified the flavor of my homemade pizza. I don’t know that I’d break the pizza beer out for the game, but with the occasional slice, it’s actually pretty good.
The beer’s currently only available in Illinois and Wisconsin, but the distribution is expanding pretty quickly, so look for it at a store near you or check out their website.
About the author: Michael Nagrant writes for Serious Eats from Chicago, where he also publishes Hungry magazine. Michael never met an organ meat he didn't like. He hopes to meet many more.
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3 Comments:
On one hand i want to atleast try it, but on the other hand, that is what i said about jalapeno beer (Rio Grande) which is still the top of my worst beer list.
Jayhawk at 12:01PM on 04/25/08
I just found this today. Great for NYC beer nerds. Who stocks what you're looking for:
http://www.beermenus.com/
bobbob at 1:24PM on 04/25/08
Pizza Beer Bread Recipe:
4 Cups Sifted White Flour
4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil or Melted Butter Plus a bit extra for greasing pan
1 Bottle "Mamma Mia Pizza Beer" Room Temperature (16 oz or Two Cups)
Preheat Oven to 375F
In a big bowl: Be sure that the flour is sifted.
Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly together.
Add Beer and mix by hand real good... Dough will be very sticky
Grease a bread or other good baking pan with olive oil or melted butter
Pour dough into pan
Pour 3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil or Melted butter on top of dough mixture
In the oven for around 60 minutes. Check on the bread at about 50 minutes, as time will vary depending on Oven, Elevation, Etc.
Take out & dump onto a wire rack or cutting board. If you can resist, let sit for 15 minutes & cut into it!
www.pizzabeer.net
pizzabeer at 11:23PM on 04/25/08