The launch of the Ontario Craft Beer Route, on July 21 at the Steam Whistle brewery, afforded guests the perfect opportunity to sample diverse craft beer.

The Ontario Craft Beer Route paves the way for thirsty travellers to smooth out any dry spots along the province's byways.

Supported by $5 million in funding from the province, and with the participation of 25 specialty brewers, the route (launched late July) untaps a veritable vat-full of imbibing opportunities.

Designed to promote tourism and build awareness of Ontario's craft breweries, the route pegs the province into five zones: The Capital Region (area around Ottawa), the Golden Horseshoe, Lake Country (Barrie, Muskoka and the Kawarthas), Greater Southwest (Guelph to Windsor) and Toronto.

"We want visitors to explore the fabulous range of food, entertainment and culture this province has to offer -- and to experience (our) world-class varieties of beer," says Mary MacIsaac, director of marketing for the Ontario Craft Brewers.

The name "Ontario Craft Brewers" speaks to the tradition of care and craftsmanship that craft brewers apply when brewing their beer, adds MacIsaac.

The art and science of beer making in Ontario has been part of the landscape since the first parched pioneers settled this land. The province's early beer industry started with small brewers-craftsmen who applied their old world skills to producing regional beers to satisfy regional tastes.

Today, craft beer boasts a growing faction of avid aficionados. Handcrafted and made in small batches inspired by family recipes -- some formulas handed down for generations, others the result of hundreds of hours of trial and exploration in brew houses -- characterize modern craft brewing.

"Each brewery has its own personality, reflected in the product we make," says Karen Behune Plunkett, president of The Walkerville Brewing Co. (walkervillebrew.com) in Windsor, one of the suds specialists on the beer route. "That's what makes craft brewing so individual. But what really sets us apart is our passion for beer."

Mastering the malt in an abandoned Hiram Walker warehouse two blocks from the original brewery where the famed whisky whiz first uncorked his brewing empire, Plunkett and her husband, Michael, reignited the plant's kilns in 1999.

"Our Walkerville Lager and Premium Blonde brands are brewed without additives or preservatives, because real beer has only four ingredients: Roasted malt, choice imported hops, fresh-cultured yeast, and pure water."

Ken Woods, the founder and president of Black Oak Beer (blackoakbeer.com), one of Oakville's newest crafter brewers, points out Ontarians can certainly claim a rich tradition of beer making. "We have access to the full range of beer tastes and styles. But when something is made in your neighbourhood, there's nothing like it," he says.

Visitors to Black Oak can sip up to three, free, four-ounce samples of Black Oak's heady beverages, then tour the state-of-the-art 390-sq.-metre facility located near Trafalgar Road and the QEW.

Leading the tour, Woods proudly points out the brew house with its four stainless steel fermenting vats, where he oversees the unhurried hop-aging process (up to 15 days at a frosty 2 C) that results in his Pale Ale, Nut Brown Ale and Nutcracker labels. Along the way, he takes breathes in deeply and muses, "The air here is permeated with spicy, malty almost floral aromas. It's delicious."

So while drinking in the rich history, beautiful scenery and friendly communities along the Ontario's Craft Beer Route, make a point to take the taste test. From old-style classic pilsners, malty finished ales, easy drinking lagers, full flavoured stouts, and more, there's a craft beer here to whet every whistle.

The Official Guide to the Ontario Craft Beer Route, is available at breweries, provincial tourism information centres, LCBO stores, hotels and motels, includes maps, tour and contact information for each brewer. And, an LCBO-produced DVD called Discover Ontario Craft Beer is on sale ($9.95) at some LCBO stores and online at lcbogifts.com.