Countless articles and several books have been published on matching food and wine, but surprisingly few about pairing food and beer.

Beer is world’s most popular alcoholic beverage and more people enjoy beer with or without food. A glass or a bottle of fine beer enhances the enjoyment of food and helps digest as well.

Beer, being a “manufactured” product, is more varied than wine. The taste of beer depends on the quality and taste of the base material (malt), water, yeast strain, and techniques employed.

There are two basic beer styles: lagers and ales. Fruit flavoured beers start life as ales and then change by human intervention.

Lagers are generally light, hoppy, slightly bitter and refreshing, suitable for light dishes, whereas ales by nature tend to be fuller in body, darker in colour, and may be high or low in alcohol content.

Ale originated in the United Kingdom and British still prefer it, though preferences are changing slowly to lager.

Here is a menu and several dishes with appropriate beers available in Ontario.

NOTE: Ontario and Quebec boast an unprecedented number of quality-oriented boutique breweries. All have been able to take market share from the big three (Molson, Labatt, Sleeman) dominant Canadian breweries

BBQ WILD MUSHROOMS, SMOKED TROUT CAKES, PREPPERONI AND SALAMI, ASSORTED FANCY POTATO CHIPS, CORNMEAL FRIED OYSTERS

NEUSTADT LAGER, NEUSTADT SPRINGS BREWERY, ONTARIO

MUSSLES IN ALE

I P A ALEXANDER KEITH, LABATT

DOUBLE-SMOKED PASTRAMI, SPICED BACON AND TOMATO WEDGE SALAD

NIAGARA PALE ALE, NIAGARA FALLS BREWING, NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO

APPLEWOOD SMOKED PORK LOIN, SUMMER FRUIT CHUTNEY, CORN FRITTERS WITH JALAPENO SAUCE

TRADITIONAL ALE, BIG ROCK BREWERY, ALBERTA

CHOCOLATE GLAZED DOUGHNUT ICE CREAM SANDWICH

HOBGOBLIN EXTRA STRONG ALE, UNITED KINGDOM

GERMAN POATO SALAD WITH GRILLED BRATWURST, SAUERKRAUT LAGER SAUCE

STEAM WHISTLE LAGER, STEAM WHISTLE BREWERY, TORONTO

BBQ SHORT RIBS OVER CHEDDAR POLENTA AND WILD MUSHROOM RAGOUT

GRIFFON EXTRA PALE ALE, MCAUSLAN BREWING COMPANT, QUEBEC.

LAMBIC-POACHED ON FIELD GREEN, VANILLA SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE, HAZELNUTS AND STILTON

CZECHVAR PREMIUM LAGER, PLZEN, CZECH REPUBLIC

TEMPURA OF ALE-BATTERED COD WITH NOODLES, WILTED SPINACH AND GINGER SOY

GRILLED PORK FILET WITH CIDER GLAZE, MAPLE SWEET POTATO PUREE, PANCHETTA-BRAISED CABBAGE AND BEER-BATTERED FRIED APPLE CHIPS