Sometimes you just want a beer that tastes like beer. Of course, each beer drinker has their own expectations and biases about what beer should taste like. I enjoy a beer that makes me remember my first sip of beer. Maybe you were eight or ten, but at some point, you took a sip of beer when someone's back was turned. Your face promptly contorted into something resembling Jim Carrey's funny days. That will always mean, to me at least, a beer that sort of tastes like Dixie. Albeit, now I want a better version of that.

Lagers. That is what I reach for. These beers are fermented at colder temperatures resulting in a crisper, more refreshing beer than its richer cousin, ales. The Germans are really good at a few things: dismantling Barcelona with efficiency and ruthlessness, invading (but not conquering) other countries, engineering, turtlenecks, and brewing beer. Ayinger is my German lager of choice. This one here is called Jahrhundert Bier which means (pardon my German) "A beer perfect for after cutting one's grass."

I can hear the beer nerds now. "Beer and pizza? That's the best you could do for an article on the greatness of beer and food pairings?" They will scream that beer is much more than just a foil for pizza and much more than just something to chug while watching the ball game. Beer is sophistication. Beer is how humankind survived when there was not an adequate water supply.  They would suggest trying an ultra hopped, smoked barley, green tea and raspberry infused lambic with a sauteed duck breast with kim chi Brussels sprouts.

In a way they would be correct.


But no pairing in the arena of food and beverage can beat beer and pizza, not even milk and chocolate chip cookies. A crisp yet chewy dough's faint yeastiness, the acidic vibrancy of marinara, the salty, creaminess of cheese, herbs, and myriad toppings are just tailored man for a quality beer. With pizza, I like a beer with more than a touch of hoppiness and a decent heft, but with enough bubbles to help scrub your mouth to prepare it for the next bite. Pale Ales and their sub genre, India Pale Ales offer this in spades. The immense hops of pale ales and IPAs bring both a welcome acidity and bitterness. Whereas sometimes sauvignon blanc is described as a squirt of lemon, an IPA to me is like biting into the rind of a lemon that has been cross bred with a pinecone, in a pleasant way. They are just heavy enough to remind you to take it easy without weighing you down. This is key in a pizza eating marathon. Some I have particularly enjoyed as of late are the Green Flash Brewing Co. West Coast IPA, the Southern Star Pine Belt Ale, and NOLA Brewing Co. Hopitoulas.


Grab some beers from the store, invite over the neighbors and friends and throw a pizza party. Its better than making your own kim chi Brussels sprouts.

Photo stolen off of Twitter @NOLABrewing

Trust us, that was the least offensive pun we came up with for a title to this post. As we are sure you know, NOLA Brewing - that rising behemoth of brew, that stalwart of suds - is set to release their New Orleans focused beers in new portable personal mini kegs. These personal mini kegs can travel almost anywhere. From the parade grounds to the parking lot of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, from the whitish sands of Pass Christian to your Aunt Beatrice's wake, there is literally nowhere you can't take these personal mini-kegs. And unlike big, bulky group kegs, these personal mini kegs are recyclable and come in convenient six and twenty-four packs.

Sorry WNBA, but football is back and no one cares about your sport again. That's right food fans, the Saints of New Orleans open the NFL Season on the road on the Frozen Margarita Tundra owned by the Packers of Green Bay. The excitement in households across America is palpable as people wake up, rub the sleep from their eyes, and come to the realization that there is an NFL game on tonight and they don't have to watch Real Housewives of Minneapolis. Productivity will drop to near historic lows as offices switch their focus to more important things like whether or not to call their fantasy football team We Must Protect This Winehouse.

So to help you help yourself, we enlisted the help of some alcohol pros, Joe Briand and Jeremy Labadie of Carte des Vins and TheBeerBuddha.com respectively to tell us what you need to be sipping on tonight. Notice we left cocktails off? That is because you only need to know the name Dark n Stormy, great drink and if you use your imagination it is Black and Gold.  Even if you hate football, I have a feeling after the President's jobs speech we are all going to need a drink.

Beer Buddha -  LOCAL, LOCAL, LOCAL!!!!


Covington Brewhouse Ponchartrain Pilsner- This refreshing,  german style pilsner is an easy drinking local brew with a nice malty profile and subtle hint of hops.  Available:  Steins Deli, Cork & Bottle, Rouses.


Tin Roof Perfect Ten Amber -  This canned offering from Tin Roof has an nice aggressive maltiness which is perfectly balanced with a grassy hop bitterness.  Available:  Steins Deli, Cork & Bottle