The Rating System

We've thought long and hard about the rating system to use. We went through a number of iterations, many of them ruled out for either being too complicated or not being representative of our goal. We though of giving points for supplementary things, such as a good Kilkenny (which we find easier to find vs. a good Guinness). However, what if a pub doesn't have a Kilkenny on tap?

As such, we split the rating system into two parts: the base and the bonus. The base is the same for all places: up to 10 points for a Guinness (to date, no pub gathered a full 10); up to 5 for service; and up to 5 for atmosphere (which encompasses decor, mood, and the visitors, amongst other things). We've discovered getting above 15 points is quite hard, mostly due to it being so hard to arrive at more than 5-6 points on the Guinness scale. Any pub that can do that will land in the Top Pubs tag. Most can't.

The bonus is more of a guideline rather than a rule. We give up to 4 points for a Kilkenny, if present, and then between up to 1 and 3 points for other items, such as food (if really worth it), billiards (if good), Boddington's, or a great whiskey selection. The bonus points are more made to support places that have something there but don't quite make it on the Guinness scale. A good bonus score is meant to showcase a place is worthwhile, but mileage may vary depending on what you're looking for.

We may continue to adjust the system to better reflect the goal of this blog: to find the best Guinness in Toronto (though we've already branched out to other cities). Any comments or suggestions are always welcome!