Beer pairing
Best beer for sausage and peppers
Last updated
Sausage and peppers is rich, a little fatty and sweet from the onions and peppers, so it wants a beer that is cold, crisp and bitter enough to reset your palate between bites. That is exactly what Italian pale lagers are built for, and it is the glass you see in Larry's hand whenever this dish is on camera. Below are the beers from our drinks menu we pour with the skillet, the sandwich and the grill.
Quick answer
Pick a cold, crisp Italian pale lager — Peroni, Peroni Nastro Azzurro or Birra Moretti. Menabrea's slightly richer body suits a grilled or smoky version, and an Italian craft beer works when the sausage is heavily spiced or the peppers are hot.
5 beers to pour
Peroni
Pale lager, 4.7% ABV
Ice cold, straight from the bottle or a frosted glass.
Larry: “Clean and dry — it steps aside and lets the fennel in the sausage do the talking.”
Peroni Nastro Azzurro
Premium pale lager, 5% ABV
Very cold, tall glass.
Larry: “Crisper and a touch drier; Larry's pick when the pan is heavy on sweet onions.”
Birra Moretti
Pale lager, 4.6% ABV
Cold, in the big 66 cl bottle if you can find it.
Larry: “A little maltier, which sits nicely against charred peppers straight off the grill.”
Menabrea
Lager and amber, 4.8% ABV
Cold, proper glass.
Larry: “The richer of the lagers — good when the sausage is hot and you need a bit more body.”
Italian Craft Beer
Varies — look for chestnut, grape or citrus brews
Cellar cool, not ice cold, in a glass.
Larry: “For heavily spiced or smoked sausage, a fuller craft brew keeps up where a light lager fades.”
Cooking it tonight? Start with Larry's sausage and peppers recipe, then browse Italian beer pairings and the wine side of sausage and peppers.
Questions people ask
What beer goes best with sausage and peppers?
A cold, crisp Italian pale lager such as Peroni or Birra Moretti. Its carbonation and light bitterness cut through the fat of the sausage and the sweetness of the peppers.
What beer goes with hot Italian sausage?
A slightly fuller lager like Menabrea, or an Italian craft beer with a little malt body — very light lagers can taste thin next to chili heat.
Is beer or wine better with sausage and peppers?
Both work. A juicy Italian red is the wine route; a cold lager is the pizzeria route and Larry's usual choice on camera. See our best wine for sausage and peppers page for the other side.
What beer goes with a sausage and peppers sandwich?
The same cold pale lager — the bread makes the dish heavier, so the beer's crispness matters even more.
How cold should the beer be?
Well chilled, roughly 39–45°F (4–7°C), in a clean glass or straight from the bottle.