PITTSBURGH (Oct. 4, 2021) — For the past nine years, Caliente Pizza & Draft House has prided itself on being among the best spots to find hard-to-source craft beers in the Pittsburgh region. Next on tap? A brew that’s decidedly close to home.
Hazy Dough Dazy (5.3% abv), Caliente’s first self-brewed beer, will be on tap October 15 at all five current locations, and beer aficionados will find it at the regional restaurant’s two new locations when they open their doors. The house brew is a New England IPA brewed with two-row barley, oats and Vienna and wheat malts, bright floral, soft citrus and grapefruit tones, with notes of lychee and tropical fruit in every sip.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Nick Bogacz, Caliente’s owner and founder. “We’ve always been passionate about serving great, hard-to-source craft beers, and now we can share a beer that we’ve brewed ourselves with help from experts and friends in the industry.”
The beer is being released just as Caliente opens its sixth and seventh locations in Sewickley and Crafton in the coming weeks. Customers will get to try the authentic flavors of their beer, while also getting acclimated to Caliente’s new stores. Grand opening information on the new stores, as well as other significant developments, is coming soon.
“We’ve got a lot of big things coming in the next few months, including our 10-year anniversary in 2022,” Bogacz said, “The release of Hazy Dough Dazy is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the new businesses and new relationships with residents in the Sewickley and Crafton areas.”
Caliente invites customers to pair the beer with their award-winning pizza options, including the Mee Maw, which was named Best Pizza in America in 2019. Head Regional Chef Eric von Hansen also brought home accolades this summer with a win for best Non-Traditional Pizza, Northeast Region, at the International Pizza Expo for his Tony Montana pizza, a bison-topped pie. It will be available on a limited basis in the near future.
In addition, for the duration of football season, Caliente is teaming with former Steelers star Santonio Holmes on the MVP Pizza, with a dollar of each sale going to the Super Bowl MVP’s III and Long Foundation.
ABOUT CALIENTE PIZZA & DRAFT HOUSE
Caliente Pizza & Draft House is an award-winning, locally owned and operated pizza restaurant known for its roster of gourmet pizzas and craft beers. Caliente is also known internationally as three-time World Pizza Champions and represents Pittsburgh on the World Pizza Champions Team. In 2019, Caliente Pizza & Draft House earned the title of Best Pizza in America.
Matt Moninger, Caliente’s Beverage Director, sits down with Andrea Johnson, PA Rep. for Oskar Blues Brewery, to discuss Oskar Blues Thick Haze! This New England IPA will be on draft for the first time in Western PA EXCLUSIVELY at Caliente Pizza and Draft House. Learn more about Oskar Blues Brewery:
https://www.oskarblues.com/
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https://www.instagram.com/oskarblues/
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Caliente on Social 🍕Follow on Instagram: @caliente_pizza https://www.instagram.com/caliente_pi…Follow on Facebook: @calientepizzaanddrafthouse https://www.facebook.com/calientepizz…Follow on Twitter: @calientepdrafth https://twitter.com/calientepdrafth
Caliente Pizza & Draft House announces new menu items for 2021
PITTSBURGH — After months of meticulous planning, Caliente Pizza & Draft House is proud to announce the release of its new menu debuting on March 22.
Chicken is the new pizza at Caliente Pizza & Draft House. With a rise in popularity of chicken sandwiches and the infamous chicken sandwich wars, Caliente wants a piece of the action. The new menu will debut three chicken sandwiches and a chicken parmesan hoagie.
There’s something for everyone at Caliente Pizza’s five locations including Bloomfield, Hampton, Aspinwall, Monroeville and Mt. Lebanon. Vegan fans can now enjoy Caliente’s freshest vegetables and beloved signature dough on a new gourmet pizza topped with a dairy-free, soy free, gluten free and Non-GMO Project Verified Mozzarella cheese.
Returning to the menu is a fan favorite – the Luca Brasi – which was recognized as a finalist at the Trofeo CaputoCup World Championships in Naples, Italy, in September 2019.
The award-winning restaurant releases new menu items every March and regional chef, Eric von Hansen, starts experimenting months in advance.
“I keep a notebook by my bed because too often my ideas come to me at night, “said von Hansen. “I call it ‘mad scientist syndrome’ because I’m constantly experimenting with a dab of this and a dash of that to find that unique combination. With the recent chicken wars, I was inspired to create our own take on the sandwiches by adding the savory Caliente flavors our customers love.”
Below is a complete list of all of the new items available on Caliente’s new menu:
Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich
To satisfy those with a spicy side, this breaded chicken sandwich has a bit of a kick to it featuring Nashville hot sauce, pickles and pepper jack cheese, served with a side of tots or fries.
Chicky Chicky Parm Parm Chicken Sandwich
Much like the hoagie, this sandwich contains breaded chicken breast, mozzarella cheese and marina sauce, served with a side of tots or fries. This creation allows Caliente to highlight two significantly different cultures in one dish.
The Company Chicken Sandwich
By incorporating pickles and mayonnaise together inside a bun, this breaded chicken sandwich is a classic rendition of popular chicken sandwiches everywhere. Tots or fries are served as a side as well.
Chicky Chicky Parm Parm Hoagie
To include a popular staple of Italian-American cuisine, this hoagie features a blend of mozzarella and provolone cheese, breaded chicken and marinara sauce.
Forces of Nature
Topped with cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, onion, black olives and vegan cheese, this vegetable-lovers pizza features plant-based ingredients that are animal-friendly and come from the earth.
Luca Brasi
This unique creation features Caliente’s signature dough, crushed plum tomato sauce, sweet sausage and a roasted pepper medley made with fresh basil, banana peppers, roasted red peppers, sweety drop peppers, Jalapenos and green chili peppers. Ropped with fresh mozzarella for a tasty spin on the mobster hitman in the Mafia crime classic.
Get Saucy
We’re debuting three new wing sauces – Nashville Hot, Caliente Rub and Salt & Pepper.For those who like their foods extra spicy, Caliente is offering two new take-home sauces, which include the Caliente Hot Pepper Oil for $8.99 and Mike’s Hot Honey for $12.99.
The menu will still include the team’s award-winning pies including the Mee-Maw, recognized as the Best Pizza in America 2019, and the Quack Attack, voted #1 pan pizza in the world.
Chef Eric talks about all of the new menu items on our YouTube page here.
ABOUT CALIENTE PIZZA & DRAFT HOUSE
Caliente Pizza & Draft House is an award-winning, locally owned and operated pizza restaurant known for its roster of gourmet pizzas and craft beers. With five locations in the Pittsburgh area, Caliente is also known internationally as three-time World Pizza Champions and represents Pittsburgh on the World Pizza Champions Team. In 2019, Caliente Pizza & Draft House earned the title of Best Pizza in America. For locations and more information, visit www.pizzadrafthouse.com.
PITTSBURGH (Oct. 4, 2021) — For the past nine years, Caliente Pizza & Draft House has prided itself on being among the best spots to find hard-to-source craft beers in the Pittsburgh region. Next on tap? A brew that’s decidedly close to home.