1 of 2
The "Terwilliger" spicy pizza, featuring a crust made from spent-beer grains
2 of 2
Pulse Pizza guys Jonathan Leek, Eric Weber and J.R. Gates
Sure pizza and beer go together, but Pulse Pizza takes it to the next level. These three friends – starting out as a joke to see if they could really do it – acquire spent grains from area microbreweries to make pizza crust, and then, tasty pizza.
The pizza, available with topping combos like the Italian Meat Party (salsiccia, pepperoni, prosciutto, salami, mozzarella and house-made tomato sauce) and the “Buffalo Rider” (spinach, roasted chicken, green onions, mozzarella, sweet-and-spicy Buffalo sauce, and a drizzle of ranch) is sold but once a month within the dimly lit confines of the Orbit Pinball Lounge.
This isn’t the first pizza company we’ve told you about that delivers to bar patrons or provides a pizza concession within a pub. But it is the first that uses a genuine pizza oven – not a tabletop warmer – on the premises.
And it is the first that uses spent grains from the beer-making process.
“When you make beer,” explained Pulse’s Jonathan Leek, “you loosely grind up grains to get the husks cracked open, then boil them, then siphon off water. The simple sugars that are removed get fermented and become beer. Everything left is the grains, the husks, the protein and the fiber. That typically gets tossed or used as animal feed. It’s often turned into ‘beer bread.’ Its coarseness gives it a kind of whole-wheat texture. That’s what we make into crust.”
Pulse has acquired grains from 4 Hands Brewing Co. , Perennial Artisan Ales, and Schlafly. This past week, the pizzas’ crusts were made with grains leftover from the creation of Schlafly’s celebrated seasonal Pumpkin Ale.
Pulse Executive Chef J.R. Gates (who cut his pizza teeth at Pi and also labors at Steve’s Hot Dogs on the Hill) said he mixes the spent grains with three kinds of flour, in varying ratios: wheat flour, high-gluten pizza flour and barley flour.
The resulting brown crust does not taste like beer, exactly; the grains are unfermented. It does taste extremely rustic, hearty and chewy.
“We don’t have to add refined sugar to our dough,” said Leek. “The spent grains have enough natural sugar that we don’t have to do that, like some pizzerias do. We also don’t add butter, so it’s a less greasy crust, and it’s very structurally sound, so we can really load up the toppings.”
Leek, Gates and their partner, Eric Weber (who labors by day at Urban Chestnut Brewing Co.) do get creative. The “Terwilliger” pizza is spicy as heck from roasted Serrano peppers, and also has baby bella mushrooms, spinach, “pulled mozzarella” (shredded by hand from a ball of fresh mozz) and goat cheese. The vegetarian “Iguanodon” has roasted zucchini, artichoke hearts, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes. The “Cojiro” is garlic-infused olive oil, roasted chicken, pesto, mushrooms and prosciutto. The “South Side” has Italian sausage, roasted garlic and fresh basil. The “Mitchell,” inspired by baked potatoes, has broccoli, potato slices, prosciutto, cheddar and a drizzle of sour cream.
The lads are calling November “Beersgiving,” and planning a wild Thanksgiving-themed pizza with turkey, green beans, etc., plus an autumn pumpkin pizza with more of that Schlafly Pumpkin Ale in the crust.
The business’ name, Pulse Pizza, refers to a goal the three friends still share: to vend the pizza from a retired ambulance converted into a food truck.
“That plan is expensive so it’s on-hold for now,” said Leek, “but we are serious about making it happen, and when we do, we plan to let people choose what beer they want made into a pizza.”
Pulse Pizza
at Orbit Pinball Lounge
The third Thursday monthly, next on Oct.16
5:30 p.m. - 11 p.m. or pizzas sell out (probably the latter)
314-956-3221
On Facebook: Pulse Pizza
