I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry. Pizza and beer, of course, are one of the most beautiful pairings and one of the most natural, rivaling such other hit duos as peanut butter and jelly or warm apple pie and vanilla ice cream. But it may have been taken too far, as homebrewer Tom Seefurth has combined the two into one beer, which he calls Mamma Mia Pizza Beer and claims is the “world’s first culinary beer.”
Since Walter Payton’s Aurora Roundhouse has been brewing and selling Tom’s Pizza Beer, the local and national media has been covering the novelty beer in print, television and radio. Sunday’s Daily Herald, a local paper covering Kane County, Illinois where the Seefurths live, has probably the most comprehensive account.
It sounds like an herb and spice beer leaning heavily on Italian seasonings. Adjunct ingredients include tomatoes, oregano, garlic and basil. The Herald article describes it as “tast[ing] of oregano, onions and tomatoes” and they offer that it should be paired with pizza or pasta, though that seems a bit too obvious. I’d be more interested in trying it with some strong Italian cheeses. There have been plenty of herb and spice beers I’ve tasted over the years, using both common and more unusual ingredients. To my way of thinking, they’re a mixed bag. Sometimes they work and sometimes not and it’s not always clear why that is. Some I’ve enjoyed and others not so much. So while my first reaction is somewhat apprehensive, I’ll reserve judgment until I can actually try some, if that’s even possible. I love beer. I love pizza. If it’s all about the beer then who knows, maybe it will be great.