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Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 7:02 pm
by Cale
Man I'd hate to live in this "samples are taboo" world you people live in. They're pretty normal and accepted where I go..

Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 8:42 pm
by Garthicus
Build a bridge and get the fuck over it.

Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:01 pm
by Wray77
Garthicus wrote:Build a bridge and get the fuck over it.
Perhaps you should have taken your own advice?

Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:10 pm
by Streets
I haven't visited many places in Toronto, but the Judge will normally offer samples to anyone who's hesitant about making a decision. Maybe Hamilton bars just don't get as many sample and split patrons as the T.O. places do :). With me they know if I don't care for the sample I'll definitely still be ordering something else.

Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 10:19 pm
by markaberrant
Cale wrote:Man I'd hate to live in this "samples are taboo" world you people live in. They're pretty normal and accepted where I go..
Not saying they are taboo, just don't act like they are a god given right.

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 2:44 pm
by Belgian
Wray77 wrote:
Garthicus wrote:Build a bridge and get the fuck over it.
Perhaps you should have taken your own advice?
It's OK guys. I think we've almost reached a place of closure, where the healing of deep emotional scars can begin.
Tell yourself "My heart will go on!"

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 5:48 pm
by JerCraigs
Belgian wrote: Tell yourself "My heart will go on!"
My heart will go on, my liver is starting to falter! :wink:

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 11:24 pm
by Weebay
aser wrote:ok then stop being a moral authority here and such a dickhead.
This is a quality post!
I"ll be sure to listen to and value your opinion in the future!

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 11:46 pm
by Ale's What Cures Ya
Belgian wrote:
Wray77 wrote:
Garthicus wrote:Build a bridge and get the fuck over it.
Perhaps you should have taken your own advice?
It's OK guys. I think we've almost reached a place of closure, where the healing of deep emotional scars can begin.
Tell yourself "My heart will go on!"
Haha, Bruce looks so funny with long hair. Although I'm sure to the people who became fans in the 80's he looks funny with short hair.

Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 3:33 pm
by aser
Weebay wrote:
aser wrote:ok then stop being a moral authority here and such a dickhead.
This is a quality post!
I"ll be sure to listen to and value your opinion in the future!
Thanks for your valuable contribution. The feeling is mutual.

Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 5:40 pm
by NRman
Image

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 9:53 am
by atomeyes
I'm late to this dance, but kind of wanted to give my 2 cents.

I'm not making excuses on behalf of Volo. as a regular customer, i'm giving my opinion.

THey're in the service industry and they've clearly had a fair amount of staff turnover. i've never had awful service there. its a small bar. if i really want a beer, a flag the server over or I go up to the bar.

DDC takeover night: it was chaotic. they were running out of glasses, there were long line-ups. i didn't notice anyone getting samples, but i was told that the sours were being served in smaller glasses. they were unique one-off beer and that was fine with me.

Patronage: I've witnessed sampling at all sorts of bars. some of The Only's bartenders will pretty much sample you if you ask about beer on tap. I was there this weekend and the bartender couldn't give a shit about explaining her taps and just wanted to make her tip money by pouring draft. on most nights, i wouldn't consider a bartender handing out samples to equal patronage per se. and if my memory's correct, i saw few samples going out on DDC night. i think they were for staff to try, not for customers. Tom's pretty nice and friendly to me and I can assure you that i didn't get any free love :)

for those of you who complain about Volo: I was thinking about Toronto bars last night. I was in the 'hood, so I walked into Smokeless Joe's, which seems to go out of its way to not try to attract customers (no website, zero response via twitter, no tap list posted anywhere). other than Delirium on tap, their tap and bottle list was the same and most Toronto bars. they sell what you buy off the shelf at the LCBO, but at 100% (or more) markup. they'll soon get in private orders, they told me. wondering if these are the same private orders I'm getting from Esprit?

basically, there's little to no reason for me to go to 99% of Toronto bars. they're not doing anything interesting. the only one that pushes the envelope with draught and bottle selection is Volo. the only other bars that come close would be Rhino, Bier Market and Beer Bistro, but their draught list isn't close at all. so if you, for whatever reason, decide to not head to Volo, then its fine with me. more room for me to drink and less beer options for you.

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 1:43 pm
by Malcolm
atomeyes wrote:basically, there's little to no reason for me to go to 99% of Toronto bars. they're not doing anything interesting. the only one that pushes the envelope with draught and bottle selection is Volo. the only other bars that come close would be Rhino, Bier Market and Beer Bistro, but their draught list isn't close at all. so if you, for whatever reason, decide to not head to Volo, then its fine with me. more room for me to drink and less beer options for you.
I guess you've never heard of C'est What?

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 1:52 pm
by Torontoblue
Malcolm wrote:
atomeyes wrote:basically, there's little to no reason for me to go to 99% of Toronto bars. they're not doing anything interesting. the only one that pushes the envelope with draught and bottle selection is Volo. the only other bars that come close would be Rhino, Bier Market and Beer Bistro, but their draught list isn't close at all. so if you, for whatever reason, decide to not head to Volo, then its fine with me. more room for me to drink and less beer options for you.
I guess you've never heard of C'est What?
Granted the beer selection is good, but it's been noted before that service is very hit and miss in here.

Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 7:22 am
by atomeyes
Malcolm wrote:
atomeyes wrote:basically, there's little to no reason for me to go to 99% of Toronto bars. they're not doing anything interesting. the only one that pushes the envelope with draught and bottle selection is Volo. the only other bars that come close would be Rhino, Bier Market and Beer Bistro, but their draught list isn't close at all. so if you, for whatever reason, decide to not head to Volo, then its fine with me. more room for me to drink and less beer options for you.
I guess you've never heard of C'est What?
Other thank TO beer week and the occasianl event, c'est what doesn't really do much...especially when copared to Volo.

Yeah yeah, they get some nice ontario rotating taps in, but their service sucks at times and i only wold go there if i wanted a variety of Unibrou on tap.

Personal opinion, natc, but they are better than the run of the mill bar, but there is usually zero reason for me to make a night out of going there.