Celebrated each year on 9th of October.

International Beer and Pizza Day pays homage to one of the most iconic food and drink combinations on the planet Earth. Both beer and pizza come in a countless number of varieties and both are enjoyed by many different cultures all over the world.

From small town breweries to huge beer corporations, from local mom & pop shop pizzerias to world-wide pizza chains, International Beer and Pizza Day can be enjoyed by all. Friends and family’s together, having fun and enjoying life.

  It’s all about fun and enjoying life !

There’s little that makes a day as glorious as finishing it off with that perfect combination of beer and pizza. The foamy head on top of a glass of amber colored joy seems to be tailor made to go with the rich and cheesy texture of that favorite of treats, pizza. It’s little wonder that these two go together so well, the salty savory buttery crust of the pizza is reminiscent of that other favorite bar treat, the pretzel. Beer and Pizza Day reminds us to take a moment to indulge in this delightful combo, and remember the good things in life.

  Now – Indulge this Delightful Combo !

History of Beer and Pizza Day.

The history of Beer and Pizza Day is the history of two amazing substances that traveled the long and winding roads of culinary antiquity to ultimately come together on our tables and hearts. Beer is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages known to mankind, and has occupied an important part of our culinary past as both a liquid food source as well safe way of imbibing water.

After all, with all the diseases that occupied the water and no knowledge of where those illnesses came from, it’s hardly surprising that beer was considered one of the safest drinks around! The Ancient Egyptians included beer in every level of their food chain, and it was a favorite drink of the slaves building the pyramids as it gave them calories and protein needed to make it through the hard work days.

  In the future I will come up with a special post about Beer History, also in Uruguay, and Pizza History. It’s so interesting !!

Pizza, on the other hand, heralds back to 997 AD in Gaeta, Italy, though of course it didn’t have any tomato sauce on it. Tomatoes didn’t come to Europe until the discovery of the New World, and when Italians discovered tomatoes they pretty much never looked back! The first place it went? Their favored food, Pizza! Finally, after thousands of years, these two amazing things came together to be celebrates in Beer and Pizza Day!

   Big crusty pizzas and some „healthy juice“ !

How to celebrate Beer and Pizza Day.

Well folks, if we have to encourage you to head down to your favorite pizza parlor and get a slice and a frothy glass of beer, we’re not sure you’re the kind of person we want to know! And for sure you are not the kind of beer and pizza lover if you are the one in Uruguay, buying the „meter pizza“ from the factory and chewing it away in your car seat.

  In Italy they created a special „Pizza Beer“ !!

Pizza is amazing and comes in a huge variety of flavors, and some places even have specialty beers they use to pair with pizza. Believe it or not, there’s even a bottled version of this holiday, it’s called Pizza Beer and it almost has to be as amazing as the label suggests! Share Beer and Pizza Day by tagging your social media posts with beerandpizza or pizzaandbeer !

                  
The pizza “ 3 cheeses with a lot “ in our favorite beer bar in Atlantida.

Invite yourself and/or friends to a special restaurant and order your favorite pizza. Or, why not making your own one. You can find a lot of tips, history and recipes in my post „It’s Pizza Time“, posted in February 2016. And – for the connoisseurs between you – here one recipe which is really worth to be made on “ BEER and PIZZA DAY “

Honey Chilli Chicken Pizza with Goat Cheese.

  This pizza is something special !

Ingredients.

Dough.
1 1/8 cups warm water
3 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

Pizza.
3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons adobo sauce from can of chipotle chilli’s
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup marinara sauce
12 ounces (375gram) fontina cheese, freshly grated
1 (4 ounce, 125gram) can diced green chilli’s
3 scallions, sliced
2/3 cup sweet corn
6 ounces (185gram) goat cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro

   The shredded chicken thighs.

How to do.

Dough.
In a large bowl, combine water, yeast, honey and olive oil. Mix with a spoon, then let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes.
Add in 2 1/2 cups flour and salt, stirring with a spoon until the dough comes together but is still sticky.
Using your hands, form the dough into a ball and work in the additional 1/2 cup flour, kneading it on a floured surface for a few minutes.
Rub the same bowl with olive oil then place the dough inside, turning to coat. Cover with a towel and place in a warm place to rise for about 1-1 1/2 hours.
After the dough has risen, punch it down and place it back on the floured surface.
Using a rolling pin or your hands, form it into your desired shape (sometimes I use baking sheets and do rectangles or free form pizzas – this specific dough will yield one pizza large enough to feed about 3-4 people) and place on a baking sheet or pizza peel.
Place the towel back over the dough and let sit in the warm place for 10 minutes.

   Lots of fresh cilantro !

Pizza.
While the pizza is rising, heat the broiler in your oven to high, 240C (500F).
Season the chicken thighs with the chipotle powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Place them on a baking sheet and stick it under the broiler. Broil for 7 minutes, then flip, broiling for 7 minutes more.
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, vinegar and 1 teaspoon of the adobo (see my post about adobo) sauce.
Brush it on the chicken thighs and broil for another minute.
Flip the chicken and brush the remaining mixture on the other side, broiling for 1 more minute.
Remove the chicken and shred it once cooled.
Heat the oven to 425F (210C). If I use my pizza stone, I heat my oven to 475F (230C) and bake for 15 minutes. If you’re just using a baking sheet, follow the directions below for baking and set to 425 degrees.
Brush the pizza dough edges with olive oil. Spread the marinara sauce on the dough and swirl in the remaining teaspoon of adobo sauce.
Add half of the fontina on the sauce. Cover the fontina with the shredded chicken, green chilli’s, scallions, corn and crumbled goat cheese. Add the remaining fontina on top.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes (or around 15 to 20 minutes if using the pizza stone) until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
Remove and top with the fresh cilantro. Slice and serve!

Isn’t it something mouthwatering ? Homemade Italian Honey Chilli Chicken Pizza and a mug full of fresh Uruguayan Pilsen Amber in a wonderful German Mug, can it be more international ?  I know this pizza recipe is not the easiest, but  BEER+PIZZA DAY  is something special, why not having a special pizza. This one is worth the work and everyone will appreciate it.  Anyway – try it –  ENJOY and PROST !!!