Alexander Keith's — Attraction in Halifax

On this day, we did not have time for the tour, but stopped in at the rooftop patio to order flight samples to share. We sat for about 7 minutes in the almost deserted patio before a waitress acknowledged us and brought over a menu. She told us another waitress would be our server. We sat about another 5 minutes before the other waitress approached us. All the while, the first waitress and bar tender chatted at the bar. When trying to give our order for the six small taster flights, our waitress kept interrupting. We got the order in and then after a few minutes we watched the bar tender pour the one flight with 3 beers, which remained on the bar while the staff chatted. Five minutes passed and then our waitress disappeared. We wondered if we were supposed to go and get the order ourselves, but decided to wait. I should point out that at the time, there were only 6 customers, including us, in the establishment and the 3 staff. Out of curiosity, I had set a timer to see how long it would take to receive our order after putting it in. After 12 minutes, 7 of which was watching the first flight sitting at the bar while the staff talked, we decided enough was enough and decided to leave. As we descended the stairs, we ran into our waitress, who asked us what was going on and told us she had to get two of the samples from downstairs. We told her that she could have told us this instead of making us wait, especially since the one flight with the three tasters had been sitting on the bar for many minutes, getting warm. In total, we were in the patio for over 30 minutes and no product delivered in that time and with a ratio of two customers for each one staff. I would not go there again. I had heard the tour was good and may have considered returning for it on another day if this experience was better. This was the worst service we have ever had in our lives. One star...

I’ve done this tour several times over the past 20 years but it had been a few years since the last time I’ve done it. I’ve always had a great time experience which has brought me back time and time again. However, I found the experience this time to be lacking in energy and imagination. It felt very rushed especially at the end. We were given very few historical facts about the building, Alexander Keith, and Halifax in general which used to be part of the tour. I found this time the tour was mostly about the brewery process and lacked in history which was also part of its charm. There definitely used to be more storytelling and the staff doing the tour used to be dressed in period costumes not street clothes from this day and age. I found this changed the vibe of the tour. On a positive note they definitely provided more alcohol samples than before but I’m not sure I’ll be going back given our mediocre experience this time around. We left feeling disappointed especially my friend who doesn’t drink and was expecting to have had more of an experience. It would be nice if there was a discounted rate for people who can’t or don’t drink because the price is quite steep for them! Hopefully they go back to incorporating some of the tour bits from over the years that seem to have been lost...

On the final day of my 5-day Nova Scotia getaway, I stumbled upon ALEXANDER KEITH’s BREWERY, just a short walk from The Westin Nova Scotian, where I was staying.

I had some time to kill before heading to the airport, so I decided to wander around—and that’s when I discovered this historic gem.

The charm of the old stone building, a look inside and a quick glance at their map instantly caught my attention.

On the way to the airport, curiosity got the best of me—I googled Keith’s Brewery Tours.

🍺 Why This Brewery Tour Stands Out:

Rich History: Founded in 1820, it’s one of North America’s oldest breweries and a true Halifax landmark.

Fun & Flavorful: Costumed guides lead a lively, theatrical tour that ends with fresh beer and live East Coast music at the cozy Stag’s Head tavern.

That’s when it hit me: this isn’t just any brewery; it’s one of Halifax’s most iconic experiences.

Next time, it’s at the top of my...