For the past couple of months, Ryan's Grill's Island Music Wednesday Nights have been reason enough to make a midweek, midevening stop at the always pleasant Ward Centre restaurant and bar. Combined with Ryan's annual monthlong Beerfest, however, the night becomes a must-do.

The spring and summer live music series has drawn impressive numbers to nosh, imbibe and hear contemporary Hawaiian sounds from Kapena, the Opihi Pickers, Cecilio Rodriguez and others. Makani from Island Music 98.5 FM hosts.

The highlight of Beerfest, which launched last week and continues through this month, is a menu of 109 beers (proudly numbered on the list) from all over the world and a suds-friendly pupu menu designed by executive chef Robin Uyeda. The beers — collected from 26 countries — ranged from a $2.75 bottle of New Zealand Steinlager to $17.95 for a bottle of Canadian Unibroue. But most fell in the $5 to $7 range. With Uyeda thoughtfully matching many of his internationally inspired pupu with beers from each item's homeland, you'll want to experiment.

The fruity sharpness of a bottle of Chimay Red ($6.50), brewed in a Belgian monastery by Trappist monks, nicely matched the intense flavors in a trio of dipping sauces that come with frites ($6.95). Extra points for presenting the crisp, thick-cut fries wrapped in a white paper cone a la European street vendors.

A pint of crisp, creamy smooth Paulaner Oktoberfest Marzen ($6.75) recommended with a German sausage sampler ($6.95) also went well with a Kobe-style beef monster slider ($8.95).

German beer begs for good grilled sausages — but that doesn't have to mean bratwurst and weisswurst. Ryan's stacks Uncle Louie Portuguese sausage (from Maui), Spanish chorizo, and spicy Cajun andouille on a bed of grilled onions and sauerkraut with dollops of horseradish mustard — and they worked wonders with the Paulaner. But with or without a recommendation, that brew went even better with the slider.

Inspired by Mainland chain White Castle's small, square-bunned "slider" burgers, Uyeda makes his version with seared cuts of tender, American-raised Kobe-style beef. Smoked bacon and slow-cooked onions and mushrooms also are involved. But the meat's inherent rich, luscious beef flavor is wisely allowed to stand alone, appropriately rare with little if any seasoning.

Three appetizers and three beers left us sated for just under $45.

Kawao's big-sounding R&B- and reggae-tinged originals and covers kept the bar area full of still-pau-hana-workwear-sporting twenty- and thirtysomethings into the late evening. And it was great seeing patrons pass on the official state domestic (Bud), domestic light (Bud Light) and import (Heineken) beers to enthusiastically test Czech, Okinawan and French brews.

You've got 27 days to savor Beerfest. Just remember it all goes down even sweeter with music on Wednesdays.

Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com.