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Cheese, gooey cheese. Sometimes I’m in the mood for something simple, and that’s when I’ll order a gooey cheese pizza with no adornment. (Well, maybe I’ll sprinkle a little Tony Chachere’s on it at the table, but that’s it.) I could just go for a lager but I think you need hops — which have a floral quality — to bring out the zest of the tomato sauce and the complexity of the cheese. A pale ale is usually my choice. Happily, we have some terrific Louisiana- brewed pale ales: LA-31 Bière Pâle Ale by Bayou Teche Brewing is one; Envie American Pale Ale by Parish Brewing Co. is another. My national favorite: Dale’s Pale Ale by Oskar Blues Brewery of Longmont, Colorado.

Mushroom and Sausage I would go for a stout or brown ale here (though some people might argue that a heavy Guinness-like beer is overkill with pizza). Still, when you combine typically spicy sausage with the earthy tastes of mushrooms in a hearty pizza, I think you need a big beer to stand up to it. A Louisiana favorite of mine: Turbodog by Abita Brewing Co. of Abita Springs. My national favorite: Guinness Stout by St. James‘s Gate Brewery of Dublin, Ireland.

Crawfish and Shrimp Pizza Depending on where you live, you might not find this in your favorite pizza restaurant, but nowadays shellfish on pizza is becoming more common. Up North and in Chicago, where I live, clams often show up on restaurant pizzas (but not on mine, thank you.) Of course, in my home state of Louisiana as well as Mississippi and Alabama, it wouldn’t be difficult to find such a pie. Shellfish bring a natural earthiness and saltiness to any dish, including pizza. A good old-fashioned lager would provide a nice counterpoint and palate cleanser for a seafood pizza. My Louisiana favorites: Abita Brewing Co.’s Amber and Cinco de Bayou by Bayou Teche Brewing. My national favorite: Heineken by Heineken N.V. of Amsterdam. LOCAL CRAFT BREWERIES ARE GETTING A PIZZA THE ACTION The Gulf Coast has made quite a name for itself in the craft beer community with longtime favorites like Abita Brewing — which pioneered craft brewing in Louisiana — being joined by heavyweights like Parish Brewing, now the second-largest brewery in Louisiana. Around a dozen other Gulf Coast breweries, including 2016 upstart Urban South out of New Orleans, and Chandeleur Island Brewing Company in Gulfport, Mississippi, produce local craft beers worthy of national attention. No matter what kind of pizza you want, chances are there’s a local beer to go with it.

Pepperoni Who doesn’t love pepperoni pizza? I imagine vegetarians might not, but pretty much everyone else has a soft spot for pepperoni pizza. For this pizza, I recommend my favorite beer style, the hoppy IPA or India Pale Ale. Hops (which, by the way, are first cousins to the marijuana plant) do to beer what Tabasco does to gumbo — they spice things up. The IPA was invented and popularized by the British who, after living in 19th-century Colonial India, needed something to pair with those fiery Indian curries they’d come to love, while also cleansing their palates. Pepperoni is more savory than fiery, but it still needs a beer with a big presence to cut through the spice and grease. My Louisiana favorite: Big Easy IPA from Abita Brewing Co. My national favorite: Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA by Dogfish Head Brewery in Delaware.

Pizza Margherita This is one of my all-time favorite pizzas, and it cries out for pairing with a lager, but not just any lager. Pilsners — a smooth- drinking style of lagers that originated in the Pilsen region of Germany and Czechoslovakia — are perfect with this pizza. They are light and crisp, with a floral zestiness and a hint of hops that bring out the herbal essence of the basil and the salty-sweet taste of the mozzarella without being overbearing. One Louisiana option: Paradise Park by Urban South Brewery of New Orleans. My national favorite: It’s hard to beat Pilsner Urquell , the Czech brew that was first produced in 1842.

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