Pizza and beer – a classic combination that is as American as it gets. However, it used to be the only combination included pizza from a large chain and beer from a large conglomerate brewery. Times are changing. People want fresher ingredients, local flavors, and of course, the best taste.
We live in America, the land of opportunity. Texas is the land where everything is bigger, so we want the most choices for everything. Luckily, Texas has some of the best breweries in the country and some really good pizza places as well.
I started out my evening with a pizza from Mario’s Pizza in Galveston and paired it with the San Antonio brewery, Freetail’s Bat Outta Helles. Freetail recently made their initial splash into the Greater Houston market, so there wasn’t a better reason to pick up a six-pack and pair it with one of the most perfect drinking foods.
Even though I don’t do fancy food pairings, there still is a method to my madness. For example, some of the best beers to pair with pizza are lagers and pilsners due to the fact the cheese in pizza brings out the hoppiness of the beer and allows it to sit well on your tongue. The carbonation of a lager and pilsner tends to be higher than other beer types, so the finish cleans out your taste buds and allows for a fresh flavor during each bite and sip of beer.
Freetail’s Bat Outta Helles is a Munich Helles-style lager with some heavy carbonation – perfect for the pizza loaded with extra cheese. I find the grainy flavor from the lager is intensified with each bite of pizza and you get the malty finish at the end. Bat Outta Helles isn’t a wheat beer, but certainly has wheat and hay flavors throughout. I found this beer to be extremely enjoyable with my pizza. You should give it a shot and tell us what you think.