Craft beer mecca Bar Volo to close after 28 years on Yonge Street
'It likely opened the door to craft beer for people from all over Toronto and the world,' beer writer says
Craft beer enthusiasts are crying the blues about the closing of Bar Volo.
After serving up unique brews in the heart of downtown Toronto for 28 years, the family-owned institution will shut its doors in September to make way for a 44-storey condominium building.
The bar, which was founded by Ralph Morana and is run by his sons Tomas and Julian, began as a southern Italian restaurant and evolved into one of the most recognized destinations for craft beer in Canada.
It boasts 26 rotating regional beers, wines and ciders on tap, along with six traditional cask-conditioned ales and a rare-bottle beer selection.
In an interview with CBC News, Bar Volo general manager Julian Morana said he and his brother will open a bar in the Little Italy section of College Street "specializing in sour and barrel-aged beers.
"It'll be the first of its kind in Canada," he said proudly.
Julian said he's overwhelmed by the flood of phone calls from customers expressing their "support and anger" and the response on social media to news of the closing.
I'll focus more on the good <a href="https://twitter.com/barVolo">@barVolo</a> did for the craft scene in Toronto/Canada than mourn the loss. Thx for bringing beer back from the dead
—@jordyshapira"To see that support shows how far we've come from a small Italian restaurant that my parents started in 1988," Julian said. "In the early 2000's, we were a niche beer bar. In 2005, we started the Cask Days festival, which is the largest cask festival in North America, and we started Keep6 Imports, a beer importing company."
According to award-winning beer writer Ben Johnson, who broke the story of Bar Volo's closing, city council approved the 44-storey tower for the east side of Yonge between Dundonald and Gloucester streets last month. He reported that Volo and its neigbours will be replaced with 528 residential units, 232 parking spaces, and the ubiquitous condo retail and commercial units.
I'm honestly so sad. <a href="https://twitter.com/barVolo">@barVolo</a>, you are a midtown establishment, a gem, and will be missed by so many! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/downwithcondos?src=hash">#downwithcondos</a>
—@emmaschuetz"Being at Bar Volo has the unique distinction of feeling like you are part of a club that also happens to be totally inclusive," Johnson told CBC News in an email. "It isn't pretentious or stuffy, but it's still unquestionably cool. It's kind of like a weathered old bar that just happens to have a world class selection of local and imported craft beers."
Johnson feels Bar Volo's location added to its appeal.
"It's close to the gay village, it's central so eastenders and westenders can even agree on it, and it's right on Yonge Street, which can sometimes be weirdo capital of the world, so you literally are drinking with people from all walks of life," Johnson said.
"It likely opened the door to craft beer for people from all over Toronto and all over the world."