Five-day bar crawl taps me out
25 watering holes in a work week a punishing pace - But task pales beside N.Y. man’s 1,000-bar quest
RAJU MUDHAR
TORONTO STAR
Dan Freeman is a man on a mission.
His thirsty quest — chronicled at thousandbars.blogspot.com — is to visit 1,000 different bars in a single year, most of them in his hometown of New York City. That’s an average of three a day. By Feb. 22, he’d already hit 241.
Impressive — but why?
"I’ve been a big fan of bars and drinking for a while, and I’ve done a bunch of pub crawls before," he says. "One time a friend and I rode from Minneapolis to Toronto with the plan to hit 100 bars along the way. I believe we got to 77."
He has the time to spare. He’s a 60-year-old retiree whose wife has grudgingly accepted his quest.
I figured I’d give it a taste in Toronto. Twenty-five bars in five days sounds like a start. (As with Freeman, I must have a drink in each bar.)
It’s not as great a feat, to be sure — and when I tell Freeman, he says, "Oh, that’s easy" — but I’m sure it will take its toll.
Friday: Last night and I’m raring to go. I even got extra sleep.
...
A friend is in tow, and we’re both fans of Laide (138 Adelaide St. E.) across town. This erotically themed bar (complete with stripper pole and vintage porn films) looks to be enjoying the post-Valentine’s Day boom. It’s fun viewing as I drink a Beck’s.
...
My quest probably says more about me than the city’s bars. But one thing strikes me: A crawl is all about quantity, which goes against what bars are supposed to be about. They are the in-between places, where you are meant to get lost in conversation.
I’m barred out for now, but the next time I head out, I’ll just enjoy the one I’m in.
Unless it isn’t any good.
Then we’re off.
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