Have you ever sat yourself down and had a bloody good think about the similarities between beer and pizza? I mean, you could just skip ahead xxx words and wait for me to go on about it, but a good seven or eight minutes spent thinking about two of humankind’s most significant achievements will fill you with the kind of inner peace and contentment usually reserved for only the most accomplished yogis and yoginis. I practically guarantee it.
FACT: Both were perfected in Europe before being exported around the globe in the 19th and 20th centuries.
FACT: Americans will shamelessly claim to being the best in the world at producing them.
FACT: As far as raw ingredients go, we’re about 75 percent of the way there. Water, yeast and modified grain are the base of which both are built on, with the remaining 25 percent being the space for producers to get funky with it.
FACT: They’re both at their best when simple but big stupid versions with extremely dumb shit is both fun and occasionally magnificent.
FACT: Pineapple is a welcome addition to both. [You're fired – Editor]
FACT: There is no situation that couldn’t be enhanced with the addition of either. [You're back, baby. Just leave the Hawaiian at the door – Editor]
In that spirit, Sydney’s Grifter Brewing Co have chosen to celebrate the very real World Pizza Day with the release of Birra Quattro, an Italian pilsner. Italian pils is a style of beer that was invented by Agostino Arioli in the mid-90s at Birrificio Italiano and has found more than a few fans in Australia over the last two years.
Birra Quattro pours a slightly hazy gold with a beautifully dense white head. The nose is awash with floral hops and spice from the noble hops, a bit of grain and just a wisp of sulphur. The malt profile is like barely cooked doughy white bread with the barest scraping of honey. Italian pils are known for their pillowy soft body and Grifter have absolutely nailed the brief. In contrast to the gentle malts, there’s a superb biting and herbaceous bitterness that makes another gulp an inevitability.
The next time you see a brewer or pizzaiolo on the street, give ‘em a cuddle from me, would ya?
Judd Owen
Published February 10, 2023 2023-02-10 00:00:00
