Food & Beer Culture

St. Louis has its own style of pizza. The crust is paper-thin and unleavened, the topping is Provel, a processed cheese blend of cheddar, Swiss, and provolone, and it's cut into squares. The beer to go with it is usually a cold lager: its carbonation cuts through the soft, rich feel of the cheese.

Toasted Ravioli are breaded, deep-fried ravioli served with a dip of tomato sauce. The invention is credited to the Italian neighborhood of The Hill, though who actually created it first remains disputed. The crispy coating calls for a beer without much bitterness, or it will overpower the filling.

St. Louis-style ribs—spareribs with the breastbone and cartilage removed—pair well with a citrusy Pale Ale: the bitterness keeps the sauce in check. A Stout made with oats complements the roasted, chocolatey notes of grilled meat. These are flavor pairings, not hard rules.

Beer is part of baseball in St. Louis. The Cardinals play at Busch Stadium, named after the brewing family, and many fans bring a beer up to their seats. It's served either in the 473-milliliter pint or from a pitcher meant for the whole table.

The craft scene began with Schlafly. Tom Schlafly, along with brothers Charles and Dan Kopman, founded the Saint Louis Brewery in 1989 and opened the Tap Room on December 26, 1991—the first brewpub in Missouri since Prohibition. Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood followed on April 7, 2003, housed in a former supermarket.