Drinking a slice of pizza: Mamma Mia Pizza Beer

I know what you are thinking. Pizza beer has to be a gimmick right? Beer goes great with pizza, but pizza ingredients in beer just can not work. Guess again. As crazy as this may sound to a lot of people, herbs like oregano, and basil do indeed work in a beer, giving the beer some good aromatics, and flavors.

I remember trying a beer brewed with basil years back and was amazed with the pungent basil aromas, and really fantastic basil flavors the beer had. So when I tried Mamma Mia! Pizza Beer I really was not all that skeptical for two reasons. Over the years I have had beers brewed with a variety of herbs and spices and know for the most part, they have worked in the beers and they have been good drinking experiences. I also am very familiar with the brewery that contract brews this beer for the Pizza Beer Company, and that is the Sprecher Brewing Company of Glendale, WI.

Sprecher brews a number of beers styles and they do them all very well. This contract brewed pizza beer is no exception. This is a delicious, very flavorful, and drinkable beer with lots of great aromas, flavors, and a very nice finish. This beer really does smell and taste like a pizza.

Mamma Mia! Pizza Beer pours to a bright, deep golden color, with a tall, and rocky white head, and a lively carbonation. The nose on this beer is really impressive. Really good herbal aromas of basil and oregano pair with some bready pale malt aroma and aromas of fresh garlic. The herbs and garlic in this beer are very aromatic. The palate is firm, with good malty flavors of fresh bread paired with a surprising tangy flavor of sun dried tomato that complements the malt flavor. This beer finishes with some more good malt and tomato flavors up front, then ends with a wonderful herbal bite of basil and oregano and some garlic bitterness that lingers.

No gimmick here, this is a good beer. I really enjoyed the aromas and flavors of this, and what else can you say but it really is like drinking a slice of pizza. Its a no brainer that this beer would go with pizza and Italian food. This is also a great beer to cook with and use as an ingredient. I don't think this is the kind of beer you would want to drink a lot of, it is what it is, and I like it. Well worth trying and if you see it, don't hesitate to try it at least once. For more information visit the brewery's site at: www.mammamiapizzabeer.com