Pizza and beer: the combo that’s just as fitting on game day as it is on date night, as it is at a formal social gathering. The two really seem to be made for each other, with beer’s refreshing maltiness combining with your pizza’s myriad flavors. In fact, in a fitting turn, you can even use beer to help you make pizza. But before you reactively order a beer with your pizza next time you’re out, it’s worth remembering that beer isn’t the only alcoholic beverage you can pair with pizza. In fact, it might not even be the best choice.
To consider the idea of what other boozy drinks to pair with pizza, Chowhound reached out to an expert in the field. Nicole Bean is the owner and operator of the family-run Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana in Houston, Texas. When asked about what she would recommend as a pairing for pizza, her answer immediately went to another staple beloved by Italy, wine. “Wine and pizza are a match made in heaven,” she said, noting that “you can drink any kind of wine with pizza” with the caveat that “depending on what toppings you have, the wine will vary.” There are a few different factors to consider when pairing wine with pizza, but ultimately, these two old world classics are fast friends at the dinner table.
How to pair wine with pizza
Some wines will doubtlessly emerge as the best option to pair with pizza, but at the end of the day, just as Nicole Bean says, your pizza option plays the largest role in determining your best choice. In elaborating her response, Bean gives topping recommendations for each of the main categories of wine. For red wine, she suggests a pizza with “meats and veggies, usually with a red sauce,” while white wine gets essentially the opposite treatment. Here, she advises ordering “white pizza (no tomato sauce), fish, chicken, mushrooms, leeks, arugula, and prosciutto or pesto.”
Much like pasta, then, you can make a rule of thumb for pairing red wine with red sauce and white wine with white (or no) sauce. And just like pairing wines with pasta — or anything else for that matter — your own taste and wine preference plays a part. Take red wine for example. There are lots of red wine options that range from sweet to dry, so simply asking for a red doesn’t guarantee the best pairing. Ideally, it’s good to know what subcategory of wine you like (for example, a bold cabernet) to make your pairing easier. The same applies to white wine, where dry options may work better for you depending on the dish.
What about your other options?
When it comes to wines besides reds and whites, Nicole Bean has got you covered there as well. Simplicity and selectivity are key with rosés, with her saying that “toppings that are key to avoid are red onions or brined toppings, as they will clash with the rosé,” pushing for simpler pizzas and toppings instead like four cheese, salami, greens, and citrus. For orange wines, she asks you to push for the savory factor, citing pepperoni, sausage, fennel, and mushrooms as her go-to options — a sentiment that falls in line with how to pair food with orange wine more generally. And lastly, for sparkling wine, she says to “stick to veggies, chicken, or fish. Try no sauce or pesto,” stressing that the main thing here is to avoid too much grease.
It should also be noted here that wine isn’t the only beer alternative when it comes to pizza. Sticking to the Italian theme, Bean mentions the likes of the Aperol spritz and the Negroni, while also mentioning the ever-refreshing sangria for a wine fusion. She even mentions that a regular old whiskey and Coke can do the trick for you if that’s what you’re craving. Ultimately, pizza is such a diverse dish that you can probably find a match for whichever drink you have in mind.
