Midwest-based Craft Pizza Joint Emerges in the Pizza Market with New Craft Cocktail Pairings

Pizza and beer is something that is all too familiar with today’s consumer. Pizza and an Old Fashioned? That’s something that The Roman Candle’s Founder, Brewer Stouffer, is excited to introduce to his customer. The Roman Candle, an originator of handmade and farm-fresh pizza, was previously recognized for successfully pairing its delicious craft pizzas with beer from local craft breweries. In the brand’s early stages of franchising, Stouffer decided to take the pairings a step further in order to really differentiate in the pizza marketplace. He has since been hard at work replacing beer with craft cocktails to create the perfect match.

“When creating the cocktails, I took a team approach. We have a group that goes through the trial and error test in the kitchen,” said Stouffer. “That’s how we make our specialty pizzas and that’s exactly how we approached the cocktails.”

Craft cocktails are something that Stouffer previously had only been experimenting with at catering events. Because of these events, The Roman Candle team developed a cocktail menu in lieu of setting up and tearing down an open bar. The cocktail menu featured drinks like an Old Fashioned, Dark and Stormy and The Roman Candle take on a Moscow Mule which featured hints of pear puree.

“We had a lot of fun with it and it was a really convenient solution for how to get people the cocktails they wanted without setting up a full bar,” said Stouffer.

This idea developed beyond just catering events. Stouffer plans to bring the craft cocktail pairing menu to the opening of the sixth The Roman Candle location on Monroe Street in Madison in late 2016. The new restaurant will be opening in an area surrounded by other new restaurants and young families – the type of population that will be looking for a premium cocktail experience in a laid-back setting.

The Roman Candle team has an archive filled with more than two dozen cocktails that will be debuted at the new restaurant. The food menu will feature seasonal items and items that are offered at different times of day, such as the Hangover Pizza comprised of spicy egg on a pizza paired with a jumbo sized Bloody Mary garnished with a chicken wing that will be highlighted on the brunch menu.

As The Roman Candle menu changes, Stouffer made sure to keep one thing constant: the emphasis on the local Wisconsin product. With the different pairings, the restaurant makes sure to use local spirits including Washington Island’s Deaths Door Gin and Prairie du Sac’s Wallersheim Brandy.

“I don’t think people are thinking first and foremost about alcohol when they come to a pizza joint, but they should be,” said Stouffer. “When they taste our cocktails they are blown away and I am excited to bring the pairings to the restaurants for all of our customers to try. It is an added bonus to be able to use spirits from our own backyard of Central Wisconsin.”

The Roman Candle pizza and cocktail pairings will be debuted at their Monroe Street store coming up this holiday season.