Beer is a widely cherished alcoholic drink, dating back to 4000 B.C. It became an everyday essential in ancient Egypt. Evidently, the passion for beer, given the numerous beer varieties today, has only amplified. Its global admiration equals its best food match: pizza. The perfect flavor blending of pizza and beer is not only promoted by Italians, known for their stringent food rules, but pizza and beer pairing also boasts a scientific backing.

undoubtedly, pizza is arguably the world’s go-to comfort food, Yet, it might pose challenges during digestion. Here, beer steps in. Being a fermented yeast drink, beer fosters beneficial bacteria in your gut, enhancing your gut microbiome, as well as the carbonation in beer aids in digestion during and after pizza consumption.

Besides, the carbonation effect presents notable benefits to digestive wellness. Starting with the bubbles’ stimulating impact on the esophagus, enabling easier swallowing. One apparent advantage of carbonation is the belching it induces —an immediate remedy for a stomach full of pizza, or a stomach upset resulting from overeating pizza. Lastly, fizzy water studies demonstrate that carbonation stimulates digestive circulation. As such, beer, as much as it helps you eat pizza, it aids pizza’s exit from your digestive tract. This all merely validates a well-accepted taste match. That said, perhaps you’ll choose an exceptionally carbonated beer for your pizza night now.

Learn more: 30 Popular Frozen Pizzas, Ranked Worst To Best

Beer is carbonated, but its countless varieties offer a diversity of carbonation levels, to say nothing of wildly different tasting notes. So, which beer makes the best pairing for pizza? That depends on the pizza in question. Tasting Table provides an in-depth guide to the best beers to pair with pizza with help from a certified cicerone and numerous national and local beer breweries. Suggestions include a bitter, crisp pilsner to cut through the fattiness and spice of a pepperoni pizza, a yeasty, fruity, and sweet yeast beer to pair with pineapple on a Hawaiian pizza, and a hops-filled American pale ale to balance the creamy richness of a white pizza.

Whichever beer you choose, make sure it’s ice cold as lower temperatures enhance carbonation. If you aren’t a beer fan, try a fizzy dry cider, hard seltzer, or any of a selection of dry sparkling wines, such as prosecco or brut rosé. Of course, carbonated beverages don’t have to be alcoholic; sparkling water or your favorite soft drink can satisfy the digestive requirements for a pizza pairing that’s also kid-approved.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.