Halifax Pintathlon

**Editor`s note**
The details below reflect the historic Halifax Pintathlon, conducted in August of 2002 by Dave and Daryl, the founders of Pintathlon.  The ideas generated throughout this week of pubbing gave way to the Pintathlon we know today.  We obviously didn`t have our ratings system then, but we certainly knew a good spot when we saw one, crowning Tom`s Little Havana Cafe as the Jewel of Halifax.  Now, many years later, the posts are quite old...we`re sure some of the locations no longer exist or have been transformed into clubs or retirement homes.  Still, Halifax is where it all started!


My buddy Daryl and I had some unfinished business in Halifax. If you must know, we had been pursuing a 4-year part-time MBA through Dalhousie, all through distance education in Toronto. This was the 16th course of 16, but unlike the previous 15, our week of intensive classes were to be held in Hallifax. We would be finished our degrees, and what better place for a celebration?
All we kept hearing about Halifax was "greatest number of pubs per capita of any Canadian city". Quite a claim - when we got downtown, we expected to find street after street lined with pubs. But we didn't. So we hit the first place we found (The Halifax Alehouse) and had a little chat about this so-called "pub capital" of Canada. "Halifax is no match for us," we boasted. "We'll do this town in a week!" And the Pintathlon was born. The goal: to have a pint in every pub in downtown Halifax.

We grabbed a local paper and started a list of pubs. At each establishment we visited, we asked the staff to add to our list any pubs that were missing. Before long, we had a list of almost 50 places. And once we started roaming the streets, every corner we turned revealed another couple of pubs. We started to realize that our task might be bigger than we originally thought...

Many years later, the 

Bar	Comments
Mexicali Rosa's	Kinda small. The bouncers were juiced...on diesel fuel. What's with all the security? Known for margarita Monday, which should be Shaftarita Monday at about six bucks per. Best part: good view of McDonald's. Mmm…Piggers.
Lower Deck	Should be called "luggage Deck". Always busy because of unsuspecting tourists. Good Celtic music warrants the cover, although beer selection is horrendous. Unless you like Keiths. Overrated. Both of us were embarrassed by the degree to which the women were digging us.
O'Carrolls	The O stands for "Old". Come here to party with your parents…and their friends. Great taps, decent band, small cover. Expensive Kilkenny pints mean an expensive night unless you win big at the VLT.
PourHouse, The Snug and the Old Triangle	Three pubs in one. Great Celtic music and no cover. Decent taps. Good mix of locals and tourists. Recommended.
Halifax AleHouse	Great burger - get the double barbecue bacon cheeseburger. Great prices, traditional pub atmosphere. The staff are forced to wear goofy outfits, but if you can get past that, it's a fine place. Recommended.
Pitchman Pub	Pub, restaurant and bar in one. Has a dance floor with occasional DJ. Good happy hour specials, large, excellent service. Extra good for big groups.
The Argyle	Great atmosphere - dimly lit. More of a lounge than a pub. Moderate taps, and when we went, sparse attendance. Comfortable.
Economy Shoe Shop	Talk of the town, but overrated. Four interconnected bars (including the Diamond and Backstage). Service wasn't great, nor was the beer selection. Atmosphere was decent.
Seahorse	Typical basement pub. Old - since 1948. Asked them when the renovations would be done, and they said, "what renos?" Worth visiting for the tank full of evil fish and the signature 3-foor seahorses around the bar.
Planet Pool	Tuesday is the night, mostly for the band. Good bar, good quick service. This is a bar, not a pub. Great décor.
Rogue's Roost	Pronounced "row-gees". Awesome atmosphere - very cosy. It's a brewpub and their beers are worth tasting. Open mike Sundays featuring decent local talent. Connected via back halls to the jewel of Halifax (see Tom's).
Bearly's	Cavernous and rough around the edges. Good hospitality. Hello VLTs. Blues pub. Karaoke Wednedays.
Merrill's	Named after Merrill Lynch, who used to occupy the building. Great old architecture, high ceilings. We loved Jenny the Newfoundlander. Popular dance club on the weekends.
Thirsty Duck	Great patio.
The Tickle Trunk	Another basement pub with musical entertainment - horrid Chili Peppers cover band.
Copacabana	Decent patio. Populated by people who work there, who are very friendly. Great view of shakey streets below. Bad beers, nice wait staff.
Dooly's on Barrington	Pool hall, and a good one. Nice staff who helped us build our list of pubs, and who held my credit card over night.
Ginger Tavern (aka Granite Brewery)	Same as the Granite brewery in Toronto. We showed up on I am Woman night. Loved the female solo musical act, and loved the mostly lesbian crowd. Not sure the feeling was mutual.
Midtown Tavern	1949 lives on at MT. Walk by this place at night and bask in the flourescent lighting that pours out. Drown your sorrows in traditional 11-ounce beer glasses. Lots of people seem to eat here, although we feared the grease.
Tom's Little Havana Café	The *jewel* of Halifax. We closed most nights here. If you've ever been to Havana, you'll know what to expect. High ceilings, dimly lit, tall windows draped with thick curtains, comfy chairs, candles. Decent beer selection, decent cigar selection. But all worth it - this is Halifax's finest location!
The Willow	At the Holiday Inn on Robie. What do you want - it's a hotel bar. Friendly staff. Reminisce about Molly Ringwald in the lovely mid-eighties décor.
Maxwell Plum	Huge tap selection, but stale atmosphere. We grabbed a quick pint and bolted.
The Split Crow	Another "talk of the town" spot. Everyone suggests it. Not bad...decent band, lotsa seating. Decent tap selection. In French, it's le demi oiseau.
Peddler's Pub	Strange - located on what should be a hip street, yet we felt like we were at a suburban strip mall. And it was empty on a Friday night when the pub down the street was packed. Hmmm. Redeeming quality: blueberry wheat beer on tap. Different.
The Party House	This joint ain't no shoe shop, this house is hip hop. Putting on your best digs for pubbin', better think again this house is clubbin'. [cue music]
The Grad Pub	On campus at Dalhousie. We liked it because it was the first place we went after having finished the last exam of a four-year degree. Good patio, sunny weather, limited taps.
The Fife 'n' Drum	Packed when we went, likely because of the awesome celtic band. Dangerously close to the casino. Heavy tourist trap...packed full of outrageous Toronto accents.
The Liquordome	An interconnected series of about 6 pubs, dance clubs and music venues. What else can we say? A veritable dome of liqour. But the two entrances are absurd - you pay the same cover, have access to the same bars, but the southernmost entrance isn't lined up. Unless yer dyin to spend extra time enjoying the streets of H-fax, use the south entrance!
Your Father's Moustache	Modest selection of taps. Although it doesn't matter as you sit at the bar and observe the parade of babes heading for the patio.