The Bar Towel

Just because I'm procrastinating right now, here's a query of pure curiosity for you all. Which would you rather patronize, assuming it had to be one or the other: A mediocre sports bar with a great selection of 40+ taps or a wonderful, historic and incredibly atmospheric pub boasting only one decent beer on tap?

Feel free to editorialize.

Steve Beaumont wrote:Just because I'm procrastinating right now, here's a query of pure curiosity for you all. Which would you rather patronize, assuming it had to be one or the other: A mediocre sports bar with a great selection of 40+ taps or a wonderful, historic and incredibly atmospheric pub boasting only one decent beer on tap?

Feel free to editorialize.

I would take the 40 tap one. Since I'd probably be there with friends and sports or no sports makes no difference to me, I like selection. But I'd probably secretly be pining for a beer at an atmospheric pub.

The only thing a sports bar truely needs is good sightlines to large TV sets and a decent sized crowd. Since the former usually tends to attract the latter, I'd vote for one with a great taplist

Is there such thing as a sports bar with a good beer selection? Id go with that one for sure.

I'll take a decent pint with a side of atmostphere please.

The ideal of course would be a great tap list and incredible atmosphere. But if I have to choose one, then atmosphere trumps selection for me. TVs, sports and conversation don't seem to work well for me.

For an evening or for the rest of my life? What is the one great beer? Thats the only tap or the only decent one of many?

Thoughts:
- Probably the sports bar more often than not, friends can watch the game, I can enjoy a variety of good beers and the company of friends (Example: Cascade Brewing in Portland, the basement pub is kind of lame but depending on whats on tap it could make for an awesome evening)

- If the historic bar only has one tap, and its good I'd say that's actually better than having say 10 taps and only 1 is good. E.g. everyone there is drinking a good beer. If the goal is to relax with conversation this would be a good place to camp out for an evening. (Example - Hypothetical classic English pub serving nothing but Jaipur, or a renovated historical building in San Fran with a single rotating Lost Russian River tap)


I'd rather drink good beer in a dodgy pub (e.g. Goodbar in Buffalo) vs. mediocre beer in a gorgeous place more often than not.

RayOhm wrote:Is there such thing as a sports bar with a good beer selection? Id go with that one for sure.

Not terribly sports-focused, but Kickoff in Waterloo is technically a soccer bar and always has the big games on (for any sport), and has the best tap selection in the city.

To be fair, I was somewhat impressed with the beer selection at the giant sports bar by the ACC (Real Sports). I had a Kronenbourg Blanc and Maudite there (although I had to bug the waitress for a glass with my Maudite).

In response to the original question, I'd usually go with the sports bar. Often enough there's a hockey game I like to watch and I have enough friends into sports who would keep me company. The occasional evening at the single decent beer/great atmosphere bar would still be necessary though.

Sadly history and architecture lose to excellent selection. I have been to examples of both. While I wished the place with the amazing selection had less sports blaring throughout the room that was a lesser complaint than the amazing location not having better beer options. I can return for more good beer and tolerate the sports, I can't really settle in to the other place without having good beer to draw me back.

Assuming I'm with friends, the former.

notdan wrote: Not terribly sports-focused, but Kickoff in Waterloo is technically a soccer bar and always has the big games on (for any sport), and has the best tap selection in the city.

I'm not even remotely a soccer fan but I'll choose Kick Off over most other places any day.

As much as I love old and atmospheric places, I'll still support a place that cares about good beer. I still haven't completely got over the loss of the Castle on King in Kitchener .

My opinion? Most Canadian cities need more sports bars that serve nothing but craft beer. The closest example we have here locally is the London Ale House (offers about 75 mostly micro bottles), but aside from Cobblestone, Tankhouse, Steam Whistle, and *occasionally* some McAuslan, the draught selection is wanting. If we had a sports bar with 40 craft taps, I'd gladly patronize it over a nice-looking wannabe pub with one good beer (which we already have in the Waltzing Weasel and its single Sam Adams draught).

For me, it is about the beer, and I prefer variety. Any environment. I also happen to like sports, but not if the beer sucks.

Maybe we're onto something here. Sports bar beer that sucks and the sports teams that suck.

So if BMO Field trashed Carlsberg and swapped in (your favorite local beer here), TFC would soon stop sucking. Ditto for any TO/GTA sports bar. Ditch the macros for the micros and the Leafs, TFC, and Raptors results will soar.

Doh - misunderstood the question

Since I've been to Cheshire Cheese Pub in London - the very definition of a historical pub with a mediocre taplist, I'd say if I lived in London I'd go there every night!

Definitely the sports bar with the tap selection. Wouldn't matter how many exposed beams, 200 year old walls and personalized playlists there are if all there is to drink is Molbatt etc.