Beer and Vegan Pizza

I'm pretty easy going when it comes to pairing pizza and beer. I like it all. But my absolute favorite beer to have while enjoying homemade pizza is a brown ale. With your average pizza, a lighter beer, like a pilsener, is a good match because of the cheese, but our vegan pizzas are earthier and are better match with a little heavier beer. I like brown ales because the nuttiness of the beer enhances the flavors of the nuts in our pesto and the creaminess of the tofu ricotta.

One of my favorite brown ales is the Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar. It's pretty over the top in terms of flavor, but all the sweetness and nuttiness really make it a natural pizza beer. I first had this beer at a local restaurant on tap...it was fantastic. The next time I went to the restaurant, eagerly anticipating a tall glass of the delicious brew, they had stopped carrying it due to problems with their distributor. Bummer. At the time, I couldn't find it anywhere locally and was forced to order it. Now it is fairly widely available. It's worth hunting down if you have to.

Another beer that I really enjoy with pizza is Cosendonk's Brown Abbey Ale. Not as sweet or as nutty as the Rogue; much more refined and reserved. Best served in a tulip glass.