Art, beer and pizza! It’s a triumvirate adding up to a good time, especially when the art is amazing, the beer is refreshing and the pizza is yummy.
Coinciding with the opening of the excellent Eduardo Paolozzi exhibition at Whitechapel Gallery, the Scottish born artist’s namesake beer – Paolozzi Lager – is making artful headway in London.
Eh? Yeah, there’s a beer named in honour of pop artist pioneer, Eduardo Paolozzi. Brewed by the Edinburgh Beer Factory “with Edinburgh flair and Italian technology,” Paolozzi Lager is a 5.2% Munich style Helles lager named after one of Edinburgh’s most cherished artist: Eduardo Paolozzi. Made with 100% barley malt, it’s got a rich malty flavour with subtle hop notes for a clean, balanced quenching drink.
As for the actual artist, it pains me to say I didn’t know nearly as much about him and his work (or his wicked sense of humour) as the exhibition presented. So prolific yet so utterly in control of his own output and its delivery – the man was a genius. The show is smartly curated to educate and awe attendees, with a wealth of works by Paolozzi from his earliest pieces from the 1940s to some of his very last (Paolozzi died in 2005). I very much hope to take in the show again.
When you visit the show, grab a Paolozzi Lager soon after to collect your thoughts. You can have it at gallery’s own The Whitechapel Refectory or moseying down the street for about a minute (or less) to have it with a pizza at The Stable.
I did the latter and loved my night all the more so for it. The Stable is a pleasant and roomy pizzeria with a menu spanning the classics to more creative pizzas (The Stable does a range of British pies as well – and seems more inclined to pull punters a pint of cider than beer). I commend the place for a quality no-nonsense margherita (£8.50). I also enjoyed slices of The Cheesey Quaver (Wookey Hole aged Cheddar, Dorset Blue Vinney, Dorset Billy the Kid goat’s cheese cheddar and Dorset Red smoked cheese, £11) and The Aldgate Angler (Jackson’s of Newton Abbot smoked mackerel, Severn and Wye smoked salmon, English spinach, fresh tomato sauce and mozzarella. topped with fresh parsley and lemon, £12).
For more about Paolozzi Lager and Edinburgh Beer Factory, go to edinburghbeerfactory.co.uk.
The Eduardo Paolozzi exhibition is on now and runs until 14 May at Whitechapel Gallery, 77-82 Whitechapel High Street, E1 7QX. Find out more at whitechapelgallery.org.
The Stable is located at 16-18 Whitechapel Road, E1 1EW with more than 15 other locations across the UK. Find out more at stablepizza.com.
