Zwanze Day/Funk Night @ Bar Volo - Sep 14

[markaberrant]

I'm sure Volo will do a plenty good enough job hyping it to produce painful lines. This is the ugly dark side of the masses getting interested in craft beer.

This thread just got hella-awesome. Again.

[Kekumba]

Interesting. Guess I'll have to choose between Volo and DDC. Gonna be a wild few weeks between this, a Portland trip, and Beau's Oktoberfest.

[boney]

Booking the day off work.......now.

In my best Don Carleone voice....."all you media types. You're gonna keep this quiet if you know what's good for ya. Capeesh?"

[atomeyes]

waiting for Josh Rubin to write an article about Zwanze Day and not describe the beer as being "horrifically sour; most Bud and Canadian drinkers shouldn't bother to show up."

[groulxsome]

waiting for Josh Rubin to write an article about Zwanze Day and not describe the beer as being "horrifically sour; most Bud and Canadian drinkers shouldn't bother to show up."

Still though, if it's out early enough and anyone in the beer writing pushes anyone interested in the event to go to any place where they can normally try Cantillon (Bar Hop, Volo, Beer Bistro, Bellwoods) to try it our and see if it's something they might like, that would be great. I'm all for people who are interested in trying it out getting involved and I would love to see a great turn out from hype, but I'd also like if it was somewhat educated hype and not hype for its own sake. If you haven't bothered trying a $12, 330ml bottle of 100% Bio Gueuze Lambic Cantillon (at Beer Bistro, for example), then maybe your just riding the hype - or "hipster" or whatever else curmudgeons are calling those folks these days - train and probably not getting the most for your wait, effort, etc. Advocating beer is not just about advocating beer drinking and trying things, education helps and matters and being guided to where they might start prior to the event would be great to see in press. I'd love to be in a line, even a painfully long line, with a bunch of educated and excited people just trying out lambics for the first or second time, rather than people saying "I heard this was hard to get."

Though I'm sure having Cantillon for the first time at Zwanze Day would be a hell of a great experience!

[Gavin]

waiting for Josh Rubin to write an article about Zwanze Day and not describe the beer as being "horrifically sour; most Bud and Canadian drinkers shouldn't bother to show up."

Still though, if it's out early enough and anyone in the beer writing pushes anyone interested in the event to go to any place where they can normally try Cantillon (Bar Hop, Volo, Beer Bistro, Bellwoods) to try it our and see if it's something they might like, that would be great. I'm all for people who are interested in trying it out getting involved and I would love to see a great turn out from hype, but I'd also like if it was somewhat educated hype and not hype for its own sake. If you haven't bothered trying a $12, 330ml bottle of 100% Bio Gueuze Lambic Cantillon (at Beer Bistro, for example), then maybe your just riding the hype - or "hipster" or whatever else curmudgeons are calling those folks these days - train and probably not getting the most for your wait, effort, etc. Advocating beer is not just about advocating beer drinking and trying things, education helps and matters and being guided to where they might start prior to the event would be great to see in press. I'd love to be in a line, even a painfully long line, with a bunch of educated and excited people just trying out lambics for the first or second time, rather than people saying "I heard this was hard to get."

Though I'm sure having Cantillon for the first time at Zwanze Day would be a hell of a great experience!

Thank you.

[markaberrant]

You all know that saying good beer shouldnt be wasted on the unwashed masses makes you sound like a bunch of assholes, right?

[grub]

You all know that saying good beer shouldnt be wasted on the unwashed masses makes you sound like a bunch of assholes, right?

well said.

[boney]

You all know that saying good beer shouldnt be wasted on the unwashed masses makes you sound like a bunch of assholes, right?

.....says the most ornery, cantankerous guy on BT

At least for me, I didn't imply anything at all about "beer worthyness". It's just limited supply of what could be a highly in demand product. More press and more people turned on to craft beer meaning less opportunity to try the hard to come by stuff is just the new craft beer reality. No judgements, no subtext, just a desire to drink some good beer. Giddy-up!

[atomeyes]

You all know that saying good beer shouldnt be wasted on the unwashed masses makes you sound like a bunch of assholes, right?

well said.

i don't care who drinks it. not establishing the worthiness of each consumer.

all i care about is a) how long the line will be b) if i'll get the beer.

when idiots were lining up for the bricks of Westy 12? good for them. but bad for me, because i am a selfish son of a bitch and i only care about what i get and how long it will take.

same for Zwanze day.

so the less publicity and the fewer random people waiting in line, the happier i am. me me me.

in the end, the beer will sell out. so the event needs little advertising or hype.

[groulxsome]

You all know that saying good beer shouldnt be wasted on the unwashed masses makes you sound like a bunch of assholes, right?

.....says the most ornery, cantankerous guy on BT

At least for me, I didn't imply anything at all about "beer worthyness". It's just limited supply of what could be a highly in demand product. More press and more people turned on to craft beer meaning less opportunity to try the hard to come by stuff is just the new craft beer reality. No judgements, no subtext, just a desire to drink some good beer. Giddy-up!

I agree. I'm not trying to say anyone is more "deserving" of some beer than the next person. I'm certainly not trying to say that "good beer shouldnt be wasted on the unwashed masses." What I am trying to say is, as a person who will be in line for some beer, it'd be nicer to be with a bunch of people who are excited about the beer itself, rather than the hype which is what happened with the Westy release. Most press reports just made it about the rarity without mentioning that other Quads were easily available around the GTA.

I don't care too much if people are actually excited about the beer itself, but if when writing about the event some press covered a little education about beer it might foster a little more learning and a little less "ticking" or just getting something because it's rare. Is it really that wrong to want suggest that leaning about beer might enhance its enjoyment, not just for the person drinking the beer, but for the whole event?

[markaberrant]

The whole reason you got Westy 12, and are getting Zwanze is because craft beer has finally become popular/trendy in the center of the universe.

You can't have it both ways.

Thinking you are more deserving because "you were there first" or "you have more appreciation for good beer" is utter bullshit.

And to think that everyone should be as educated as you about beer is a nice idea, but not reality.

There will always be good beer, and there is more around than ever before. You will just have to accept that you may not be able to get your hands on every single drop of it, you may have to wait in line for it, and you may have to rub shoulders with the unwashed masses who also want a taste of it.

It needs to be said again - YOU CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS.

[Gavin]

More press and more people turned on to craft beer meaning less opportunity to try the hard to come by stuff is just the new craft beer reality.

More like more press and more people turned on to craft beer means more opportunities for events like this to come to the city at all.

Most press reports just made it about the rarity without mentioning that other Quads were easily available around the GTA.

I don't care too much if people are actually excited about the beer itself, but if when writing about the event some press covered a little education about beer it might foster a little more learning and a little less "ticking" or just getting something because it's rare. Is it really that wrong to want suggest that leaning about beer might enhance its enjoyment, not just for the person drinking the beer, but for the whole event?

I don't think you're quite getting the purpose of the press, and particularly the audience. An educational piece would be great, but is the place for that really in the Star or, in my case, Toronto Life? Speaking for TL, I'm not writing for you and I...I'm writing for people who are interested in what's going on in the city, new events to check out, new openings, and new things to try...and with very limited space, isn't it better to guide them towards what I might think are the best things to try/do if they're only going to try/do a few? I would much rather someone with little beer experience, but whose interest is piqued, take up a spot at, say, Funk Fest and leave thinking "Holy shit, I had no idea beer could taste like that!"

The whole reason you got Westy 12, and are getting Zwanze is because craft beer has finally become popular/trendy in the center of the universe.

You can't have it both ways.

Exactly.

[groulxsome]

Thinking you are more deserving because "you were there first" or "you have more appreciation for good beer" is utter bullshit.

And to think that everyone should be as educated as you about beer is a nice idea, but not reality.

There will always be good beer, and there is more around than ever before. You will just have to accept that you may not be able to get your hands on every single drop of it, you may have to wait in line for it, and you may have to rub shoulders with the unwashed masses who also want a taste of it.

I think you're missing what I'm trying to say... I don't know where you're reading this beer geek privilege attitude, but I certainly don't agree with it. I'm glad beer has a large popularity, but I also like advocating education as much as I can. I have no auspices of being better than anyone else who can enjoy their beer - whatever beer - however they want to try it. I am certainly not against having to "rub shoulders with the unwashed masses," and I don't know where you could read that into my post. Again, I'm super happy we're getting this event and I'm excited for a big turn out. I share your annoyance at beer geek privilege and while you're right to call people on it, I cannot see how saying that education about beer - and I'm not talking like I'm a super expert or really highly educated - is something which is worth while. I don't want it both ways, but as someone who is passionate about beer I think it's alright to hope that anyone interested in something rare and exciting might also be interested in learning more. I don't think it hurts to lower the barrier to entry not just for the beer, but also on the education about beer.

You make it sound like I want an exam or something to qualify you for drinking the beer! Gosh!

I don't think you're quite getting the purpose of the press, and particularly the audience. An educational piece would be great, but is the place for that really in the Star or, in my case, Toronto Life? Speaking for TL, I'm not writing for you and I...I'm writing for people who are interested in what's going on in the city, new events to check out, new openings, and new things to try...and with very limited space, isn't it better to guide them towards what I might think are the best things to try/do if they're only going to try/do a few? I would much rather someone with little beer experience, but whose interest is piqued, take up a spot at, say, Funk Fest and leave thinking "Holy shit, I had no idea beer could taste like that!"

And that's fair enough. It is better to guide folks toward trying new things, especially given limited space in press. As I said, I imagine trying Cantillon for the first time at this event would be pretty frikin' amazing.

[Gavin]

If it's any consolation, I dumb down what I write (on top of being limited for space)...and then it often gets dumbed down even more by my editors...which is even more frustrating for me as the writer than it is for you as the beer (geek) reader