So much time.........and nothing to do. However am I going to make the day pass?

I try to make the best of my lonely life of an airline pilot traveling to new places every once in a while. I was fortunate enough to have an especially long layover during my first visit to Halifax. Bremner told me that if I was ever in Halifax, I should go for a tour of the Alexander Keith's Brewery. The taxi driver, on the way into town, said it was a long way from my hotel so I decided against going for a visit. Apparently it wasn't that far as I came across this sign in my travels.


They make a point of telling every one during the tour that the worn cement block at the bottom right of the arch was caused by wagons, years ago, transporting beer out of the brewery. The tour was interesting. It was a theatrical tour taking us back to the 1800's and describing how Alexander Keith got the whole thing started. Each sailor in Halifax harbour was rationed 4 gallons of beer a day. That is a ration? 45 cans of beer a day is just a ration? I would say there was a pretty good market for beer in Halifax. The whole theatrical tour was great with all of the costumes, decor and script, but the 52" Plasma TV's were a bit out of place.

This is a picture of the gift shop with the brewery tanks overhead. They sell beer in the gift store!! How fun is that?


Apparently this is the Keith's slogan. I drink more Keith's living out here than I ever did in BC. Pil still rules the world out in BC I guess...

Down in the basement is Alexander Keith's office. Pretty fancy!


There is a little restored pub and lounge area where sailors would play games with dice and cards and gamble their fortunes away............or beer....???

Luckily, the tour included a wench to serve us beer. Whew!!! I would have felt ripped off otherwise.


Two complimentary glasses of beer were included in the tour. I had one glass of Keith's India Pale Ale and one of their new brand, Keith's Red. Both were yummy, naturally. We're talking about beer here.

Cheers!!!.......and a few Maritime pub/sailor songs and we....................

...were led out through an old tunnel to the exit......which of course is the gift shop. One of my biggest pet peeves.


I ended up working with a guy who makes all of his own wine and beer. As I am into wine making it was an interesting couple of days getting pointers from this guy. He knew of a Micro-brasserie in Iles de la Madeline. We figured we should go since we were staying there. It was very small but they did have tours......only in French. I passed on the tour.

Here is a look at a display of the ingredients used in their beer making.


This picture below was a first for me. I have never seen a set of beer taps over a bathtub like sink. Very unique. The taps weren't your typical draft taps either.


They looked like they were made from household plumbing supplies that you could pick up at Home Hardware.


Lots of different beer bottles. They were almost all French brands that I have never heard of. I guess I have some catching up to do!


There were more beer bottles on display up in the pub. The pub itself was quite small, seating less than 40 people. There were about 10 different types of beer made at this particular micro-brasserie. Some were your typical ales and some were very unique blends. One was jet black and 11% alcohol. Not for the likes of me.

And that, my friends, is how I pass some of my down time, away from the airplane and the airports. I'm such a lucky beer lover.