The Ultimate Beer Tasting Pizza Party Guide: Pairing Perfect Pies with Craft Brews
There’s something uniquely satisfying about gathering friends for a night of good food, great company, and exceptional drinks. If you’ve been following my culinary adventures, you might have noticed an increasing presence of craft beer on my Instagram feed lately. It might come as a surprise, given my past fiery aversion to beer, but I’ve truly embraced the world of craft brews. From once disliking it intensely, I now find myself genuinely enjoying certain IPAs – a significant transformation, if I do say so myself!
This newfound appreciation has even led me to explore breweries, eager to sample various flights and discover new favorites. This journey, combined with my enduring passion for creating the perfect pizza and an insatiable desire to experiment with cooking methods, laid the groundwork for what I’m sharing today: the ultimate beer tasting pizza party. In this guide, I’m thrilled to be partnering with Uncommon Goods to bring you innovative tools and ideas that will elevate your next gathering.
Setting the Stage for a Perfect Pizza Party
Are you ready to dive into the world of delicious homemade pizza paired with a curated selection of craft beers? Let’s get started!
The Secret to a Crispy Crust: The Soapstone Pizza Pan
First, let’s talk about the foundation of any great pizza: the crust. For years, I struggled with conventional pizza stones – they were often awkward to handle and rarely delivered the consistent crispness I craved. Then, I discovered this magnificent soapstone pizza pan. Not only is it visually stunning with its elegant copper handle, but its soapstone construction is a game-changer.
This pan doesn’t just crisp up the bottom of your pizza dough; it extends that perfect crunch slightly up the sides of the crust. For those of us who believe the crust is the best part of the pizza – yes, I’m talking about that golden, slightly chewy, utterly delicious edge – this pan is a revelation. I’ve been known to fiercely defend my right to a perfectly crisp crust, and this pan ensures every slice is a winner. If you’re tired of soggy bottoms and want to achieve pizzeria-quality crispness at home, this is the tool you need. And to those who leave the crust behind, I’ll forever be baffled by your choices!
Elevating Your Toppings with Himalayan Salt Planks
Once you’ve got your pizza base baked to perfection, adorned with a luscious sauce and melted mozzarella, it’s time for toppings. But let’s move beyond the ordinary. Why settle for just pepperoni when you can offer a gourmet topping experience? This is where the ingenious Himalayan salt plank tray comes into play. Featuring three individual salt planks nestled in a grill tray, it offers incredible versatility. You can use it to cook a larger item or, as I prefer, to prepare three distinct ingredients simultaneously.
For my party, I chose a vibrant trio of red bell peppers, poblano peppers, and sweet cherry tomatoes. What’s truly remarkable about cooking on these planks is the natural seasoning they impart. I didn’t add a single pinch of salt to my vegetables, and the result was perfectly seasoned, subtly mineral-infused veggies. The best part? You can use these planks right at the table, turning the cooking process into an interactive and engaging part of your party. Imagine your guests watching fresh toppings sizzle to perfection while you pour the beers!
While the natural discoloration that occurs on the salt planks after cooking might initially bother the “anal foodie” in me (who craves spotless perfection!), it’s simply part of their charm and functionality. I’ve used these planks multiple times since, and each experience is more fun than the last. They add a unique element to any meal, transforming simple ingredients into something special.
Discovering Unique Treasures with Uncommon Goods
Before we dive into the beer selections, a quick word about Uncommon Goods. If you’re not familiar with them, it’s high time you were! They are an incredible online marketplace for truly unique items, most of which are handmade by talented artists and designers. Unlike mass-produced goods, everything on their site feels personal and special. They even feature an “Uncommon Collection,” an exclusive assortment of products celebrated for their innovative design, commitment to sustainability, and positive societal impact. Shopping with Uncommon Goods means supporting creativity and craftsmanship, making them the perfect source for distinctive party essentials and thoughtful gifts.
Crafting Your Beer Tasting Experience
With your gourmet pizza ingredients ready, it’s time to focus on the other star of the show: the beer. The goal of a tasting party is to sample a variety, rather than committing to a full pint of each (unless you’re pacing yourself, of course!). That’s why I absolutely adore this 13-piece beer tasting set. It provides all the necessary glasses, perfectly sized for sampling without overdoing it. These glasses are generous enough for you to appreciate each brew’s aroma and flavor profile, ensuring a complete tasting experience without leaving you “hammered” after a few sips (you can grab your own set here).
Selecting the Perfect Pizza-Pairing Beers
The key to a successful beer tasting with pizza is to choose beers that broadly complement pizza flavors. This way, your friends can customize their slices with their preferred toppings (because, let’s face it, some people are die-hard cheese pizza fans, and that’s perfectly fine!), and the beer will still shine. You want a range that offers contrast and harmony, cleansing the palate and enhancing the food.
Here are the beers I selected for our tasting, with a little expert help (I chose one, and my knowledgeable friends guided the rest!). These offer a wonderful spectrum of flavors, perfect for a pizza feast:
- Superfuzz Blood Orange Pale by Elysian Brewing: A vibrant, citrusy pale ale that offers a refreshing counterpoint to richer pizza flavors. Its bright notes cut through cheese and savory toppings beautifully.
- Sunshine Wheat by New Belgium Brewing Company: A classic wheat beer, light and crisp with subtle notes of coriander and orange peel. It’s an excellent palate cleanser and a generally crowd-pleasing choice that pairs well with almost anything.
- Black Jack Porter by Left Hand Brewing Company: This porter brings a depth of roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee notes. It’s surprisingly versatile, especially with pizzas featuring robust meats or smoky elements.
- Pils by Prost Brewing Company: A clean, crisp Pilsner is a timeless choice for pizza. Its effervescence and subtle hop bitterness provide a refreshing balance to cheesy and salty toppings.
- Raspberry Sour by Avery Brewing Company: For those who enjoy a tart and fruity twist, this sour ale adds an exciting dimension. Its bright acidity can cut through richness and offer a delightful contrast to savory ingredients.
- Mile Highlander by Declaration Brewing: A Scottish Ale, typically characterized by its malty sweetness, hints of caramel, and smooth finish. This style pairs wonderfully with hearty pizzas, especially those with caramelized onions or roasted vegetables.
Among these fantastic choices, the Raspberry Sour and the Black Jack Porter were definite favorites for me, showcasing the incredible range beer offers. But don’t just take my word for it – try them out yourself and tell me which ones steal your heart! And yes, you’ll notice many of these breweries are from Colorado. What can I say? My local beer love runs deep!
Beyond the Party: More Uncommon Goods Finds
Ready to host your own unforgettable beer tasting pizza party? You can grab any of the incredible items mentioned above and explore so much more by visiting Uncommon Goods. Their selection extends far beyond kitchenware, offering unique finds for every aspect of entertaining. Need to stock up on elegant glassware? Discover killer wine glasses by clicking here. Looking for innovative and handy kitchen tools, click here. And if you’re looking for the perfect gesture for a host or hostess (or want to subtly drop hints for your own upcoming party!), you’ll find an array of delightful hostess gifts right here. Uncommon Goods truly makes it easy to find distinctive items that spark joy and enhance any gathering.
Hosting a beer tasting pizza party is more than just serving food and drinks; it’s about creating an experience. It’s about bringing people together, encouraging conversation, and discovering new flavors. With the right tools and a little creativity, you can transform a simple meal into an interactive and memorable event that your friends will talk about for ages.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Uncommon Goods. While I was compensated and provided with product for this post, as always, all opinions expressed are entirely my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Cake ‘n Knife running!
Beer Tasting Pizza Party
ingredients
- Pizza dough
- Pizza sauce
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Hot Italian sausage cooked and crumbled
- Red bell pepper seeded and chopped
- Poblano pepper seeded and chopped
- Cherry tomatoes
- Pale Ale
- Wheat Beer
- Porter
- Pilsner
- Sour
- Scottish Ale
instructions
-
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
-
Add the pizza dough to the pan and bake for 10 minutes until just beginning to brown.
-
Top pizza dough with pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake until the cheese has melted, approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
-
Cook vegetables on the Himalayan salt planks when ready to serve the pizza. Let guests tops their slices of pizza as desired, or top the whole pizza for everyone.
-
Pour beers into their respective tasting glasses and serve.
-
Enjoy the fun!