Virtual Bar Is the New Buzz for Barflies

0 Comments | Insight on the News, March 26, 2001 | by Stephen Goode

It's probably not as good as the real thing, but then what is? Starting in mid-February, Brazilian guys who liked to frequent bars for conversation and companionship were able to do so via cyberspace.

According to a dispatch from Reuters, seven bar buddies in Rio de Janeiro launched what they're calling Bar do Ze, a virtual lounge that allows barflies to spend time at a bar while, in the real world and in real time, they're still at the office or home with the kids.

The cyberbar Website link is at www.bar doze.com.br. "It's for people like me who need a little escape, some place to talk about girls and soccer and politics that's more like their corner bar and less like the cold Internet," says Erik Galarde, 27, one of the site's cofounders.

Galarde says the site targets middle-class male cybersurfers from 20 to 45 years old. And it assuredly provides a barlike atmosphere: Guys who visit Bar do Ze can rank the top-five draft beers in their cities, or they can create an ideal lineup for the next World Cup soccer tournament.

And for those guys still hanging out but whose minds are on love? They can click on "skirts" and take a test to see if their "girl is the path to happiness or a road to rain," or they also can get tips on the "art of conquest." Yep, it sounds like a bar all right.