Alexander Keith's

Visit Monday December 8, 2025. Mobility impaired persons should be aware that there are stairs during the tour. Well organised and guides were excellent. Great history, beer brewing process and of course tasting several of the brands. Lovely historic building with the active brew operation.

The Gold Standard for Beer – A Must for Any Beer or History Lover! This place is an absolute must-do if you’re into beer, history, or both! The Alexander Keith’s Brewery Tour was easily one of the highlights of our trip—so much fun, super informative, and filled with great energy from start to finish. The beer? Phenomenal. We tried every single one and were honestly blown away—each beer was perfect in its own way, with a great balance of flavours and craftsmanship that really shows. What also stood out was the team running the tour—they’re not only incredibly knowledgeable, but also talented and engaging. The tour included some great storytelling, music, and interactive moments that really brought everything to life. If you’re visiting Halifax and even remotely like beer, this needs to be on your list. It sets the bar high—the gold standard of brewery experiences!

This place was fantastic! The staff were wonderful and even put on a show while you got to drink 🍸 2 glasses 🥂 of their brews. They give you a nice tour of the brewery as well as tell of its history. Their different brews are excellent and, I hope I can buy some in Maryland. I would recommend you buy tickets 🎟 in advance as many times ⏲️ can sell out. Lastly, they have a nice souvenir shop where you can get lots of Alexander Keith stuff. Highly recommend.

My wife and I did the hour-long brewery tour on our vacation to Halifax. It was a great tour and well worth the money! We bought our tickets in advance which is definitely recommended. You can do this on their website. During the tour, multiple beer samples of their various styles were provided. The tour concluded with some live music and larger samples at the Stag's Head. Definitely something worth doing at least once if you are in town.

Looking to spend a fun hour while in Halifax, this is a can’t miss venue. The tour was excellent and provided lots excellent details about the history of the brewery. Of course there were plenty of occasions to try some excellent beer. The end of the tour featured a fun visit to their bar. There was entertainment and a chance to have a couple more beers. After the tour we visited the gift shop which was well priced for a tourist spot.

I’ve been on many different brewery tours, in many different places. The tour at Alexander Keith’s was one of the more personable, authentic and entertaining tours I have been on. The groups sizes are small so make a reservation online to guarantee a spot. The guides are true storytellers, with a high degree of knowledge about all things beer. The live music paired with the deliciously fresh beers put this tour over the top. It was so fun I would do it again, given the opportunity.

had a fantastic time on the Alexander Keith’s Brewery Tour. It was much more than I expected — not just about beer, but rich in history and storytelling. The tour was incredibly informative, filled with authentic artifacts and engaging displays that gave us a real sense of Halifax’s brewing heritage. What really stood out was the energy and enthusiasm of the crew. The guides were in character, knowledgeable, and full of life — they made the whole experience immersive and entertaining from start to finish. You could tell they genuinely enjoyed what they were doing. There were also some great beer selections to sample, which added to the overall vibe. Whether you’re a beer lover or a history buff, this tour offers something for everyone.

Wow, what an amazing tour! I really think this is a must to do activity if you’re visiting Halifax. The staff/guides are all so enthusiastic and make the experience. You learn a lot of beer making and Alexander Keith while having fun. You also get 2 samples and 1 or 2 (I can remember!) beers during the tour. For $30, that’s amazing! There were a few families on the tour who had babies/small children. Whenever we were offered beer, they made it clear that they had non alcoholic options for anyone who couldn’t/didn’t want to drink. I recommend booking the tour in advance as it fills up quick, I saw some people trying to book last minute and were disappointed!

The Gold Standard for Beer - A Must for Any Beer or History Lover! This place is an absolute must-do if you're into beer, history, or both! The Alexander Keith's Brewery Tour was easily one of the highlights of our trip--so much fun, super informative, and filled with great energy from start to finish. The beer? Phenomenal. We tried every single one and were honestly blown away--each beer was perfect in its own way, with a great balance of flavours and craftsmanship that really shows. What also stood out was the team running the tour--they're not only incredibly knowledgeable, but also talented and engaging. The tour included some great storytelling, music, and interactive moments that really brought everything to life. If you're visiting Halifax and even remotely like beer, this needs to be on your list. It sets the bar high--the gold standard of brewery experiences!

It was a great experience touring the brewery, learning more about the history of this p'ace, listening to cheerful music and of course trying out some their beers. I strongly recommend buying tickets in advance as they have limited capacity and the get sold out, specially during the weekend and holidays. There's a bit of a wait time at the entrance, so the crew gathers everyone and give introductions. Then exploring different rooms and walking to cellars and going through how things are done. You get to taste 2 of their beers while enjoying the music. At the end of the tour, you can buy some swaggers or beer from their shop.

I LOVED the Alexander Keith Brewery Tour! It was truly a highlight of our recent visit to Halifax. The buidling is historic and the staff are fantastic. The beer is very good, too! The tour is really fun, and you'll learn quite about about Mr. Keith - but this isn't really a tour for your average beer snob. You get a little bit of a glimpse of the production, but most of your time is spent checking out museum-like artifacts and enjoying a 10 oz. beer in the secret bar area - where you'll be treated to fun Scottish ditties as performed by brewery staff. I took away one star, only because it doesn't seem like there's a place to just sit and enjoy a pint. You can purchase beer to go, including crowlers, growlers, and cans. But if you're hoping to just "pop in for a pint," you can't really do that here. You're better off finding a local pub that has AK on tap. All in all, I really enjoyed our visit to Alexander Keith! I just wish I could pull up a stool and hang out a bit longer.

Service was outstanding. The bartender was incredibly friendly and helpful. The beers were very good. The space was very cool. Tours are pricey. There are better places nearby to grab a beer. Largely caters to the tourist trade.

Make sure you pre-buy as most tours were sold out . Lots of history talks and looking at old things. Many samples and ends with a full glass of your choice. Overall a neat idea and worth doing once if you like history or just like beer.

Great tour a lot of fun even had some entertainment while you sampled the beers the employees were very friendly and made whole thing a great experience

Gord and I did the brewery tour at the Alexander Keith's Brewery. I've done it twice before and it's always interesting. There were various guides who were very knowledgeable who broke the tour into chunks. After seeing different rooms, we were led into Stag's Head, where there was a small kitchen party. Along the way, we were given samples of Keith's IPA, Lunenburg Coffee and Cacao Stout, Highland Pilsner and Le Passage Gose. At the end of the party, we were bid adieu. It was a fun tour and I'd definitely recommend it.

Amazing Beer! Extremely good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!why a min of 85 Characters? Makes me not wanna post! Great beer!

Tried to check this place out on our recent trip to Nova Scotia but it was closed for a private event. Locals outside told us not to waste our money and that the tour here is $$$ and not that good. It was fun walking around the building and checking out the attached pubs and eateries. On the weekend they have a market here in the courtyard area. I still might try to give a try if we are ever back in Halifax. Maybe having a few drinks pre-tour might make it seem a little better. But still, having two local couples tell us not to waste our money here doesn't bode well.

Tourist trap. Not a place to eat or drink. They referred me to a "partner bar" that I couldn't find. Complete waste of time

Of the forty or so brewery tours I've been on over the years, Alexander Keith's offers easily the most unique. It celebrates the history of the brewery just as much (if not more) than the brewing process, which I think is a great decision given the fact that Alexander Keith's is one of the oldest operating breweries in North America. So instead of a relatively sedate and scientific conversation about how long wort is heated, the guides talk through who Alexander Keith was, what the brewery meant to Halifax and all of the historical context that explained why the business succeeded. Yes, you still learn about how beer is made. But you also learn why. After the tour through the brewhouse, you're led into a basement pub and tasting room. That's where the tour shines - in addition to the guides being able to pour a good beer, they also just so happen to be fantastic musicians. So you get a beer and then get treated to, essentially, a private concert that is meant to replicate what drinking in the mid-19th century would feel like. It was a delightful time and an absolute must-do if you like beer, history, or beer history!

Nice place to tour, beer school was the best part, only one off the places in Nova Scotia tio do a proper 9 step pour of Stella Artois

I recommend the brewery tour. It is pricey ($26 each) but you get a lot for your money. There is a standard tour through the brewery, looking at the stills and tasting the hops. They provide some interesting historical tidbits about Halifax. Tour ends in the basement pub where we have a good old fashioned Celtic party, with music, beer, and merriment. They are generous with the included beer samples along the way, which made me feel less bad for paying so much for a brewery tour.

I don't even know how to begin to rate this place. I was expecting a brewery tour...I ended up getting a high school version of a musical beer tour. This brewery tour is to Alexander Keith's what the movie Team America is to...well America. The show is OK but had I known what this was at the start of the tour, I would have skipped it. The people doing the tour are pretty cool though!

My boyfriend and I had an excellent time at the Keith's brewery tour. We were the only two people taking the tour and it was a rather intimate experience. All the ladies doing the tour were very friendly and we really enjoyed ourselves with all the different samples they gave us on the tour.

I've been to a lot of Brewery Tours and this is by far the most entertaining tour I have ever been to. At first I thought was OMG are you serious??? With all that over theatrical drama??? LOL it's awesome really. These guys have have made it so while you're learning about the history of the beer they are doing their best to entertain you as well. I heard that the Brewery is haunted so here I was waiting and looking around for a glimpse of some kind of ghost. The best part is the beer tasting. The guys doing the tour was dancing and singing while we enjoy our beer, I mean come on they were fun to watch and they seriously put a lot of effort into entertaining everyone. Overall it was great time and I would definitely come back. The only criticism I have is that the girls in the cashier should share the same enthusiasm as the tour guides.

If you are ever in Halifax, make sure you come check out the tour at Alexander Keith's brewery. The admission price is $26 per adult, a little on the pricier end but totally worth the experience. $3 cheaper if you are a student, senior or from the military but if you check into Yelp, you get 15% off the tour! The tour is a 1 hour, longer than your typical brewery tour but you will get a full history of Alexander Keith and how is brewery started including a walk through tour of how how the beer is brewed and even a view of one of the dining rooms in his historic house during that time. After the historical part of the tour is done, it's followed by a theatrical act by some of the actors in one of the cellars where they sing and dance offering you a more fun and intimate experience. You will sure get enough of your beer samplings on this tour!

such a wonderful brewery tour! You get every sample of Keiths beer along with the history lessons as well! The staff is definitely into the entire show and they even Sing you several songs! haha! For the price it is more expensive than other tours I have been on but it is definitely worth it! You even get a coupon for a Free Pint at the local tavern! I will definitely be coming back here for a visit! I have a new found love for Keiths Pale Ale and the tour was funny, delightful, and extremely entertaining!

This was a lot of fun, no questions asked. The Alexander Keith's Brewery is quite the sight to see, to be standing in one of Canada's oldest breweries, one with so much history and such an amazing story is definitely humbling if you're a fan of Canadian beer (and history). As others have mentioned, this is definitely more of a theatre tour with the various guides being dressed and speaking, in outfits and dialects of a Halifax from long ago. There isn't much of a traditional brewery tour as it is an interactive stage show. I enjoyed the pageantry of it all, and I got to discover Keith's Red which I greatly preferred over regular Keith's IPA. The price was a bit much in my opinion for what you got, a show and about a pint and a half of beer. I've been told the trick is to drink your beer faster so you can get more ha ha, so keep that in mind those of you who read this. Is it worth it at the end of the day? Yes, its a great experience to do if you've never been to Halifax before. Thanks to the team who helped make my first visit to the brewery special and fun!

I am so surprized to see the negative reviews of this tour. I have been on several brewery tours in my life and I'd have to say the Alexander Keith's is quite unique. Yes the guides are in costume, yes they act in period of the brewery's founding, yes they sing but I found it all very interesting and entertaining! And what brewery tour does NOT include self promotion? What do you think the free beer at the end is for anyway? Its not meant to be the run of the mill "here's the copper kettles, and these are the types of hops we use, blah, blah, blah" No this is acted out which in my book makes this tour unique, not bad. We brought one of our daughters here the night she became drinking age and so enjoyed the included beers at the end of the tour listening to the singing of period songs, she was thrilled and what a memorable way to have your first legal beer? Alexander Keith's beer is outstanding by the way, best IPA ever, hoppy yet smooth and not overly filling like most. Highly recommend others to give it a try!

I really enjoyed the tour. I thought the young people that performed the tour did a very good job. I also enjoyed the history and the story about Alex. People and stories are all really have. I think its a bit expensive, but hey, who am I to judge. It takes about an hour , and was very busy when I was there. Its in a very tourist area of the waterfront. I think the product is excellent. I really enjoyed the music and the atmosphere.

Being Canadians and enjoying our beer, me and my husband had to check out the Keith's brewery tour on our visit to Halifax. We were pretty excited about it, and afterwards, pretty disappointed. Note that the '2' rating is for the tour, not the beer itself. Halifax is a beautiful, lively city and this brewery is one of the oldest in North America. The backstory is an interesting one. We've done a couple of brewery tours in our day and were looking forward to this one. I can honestly say that I didn't learn a heck of a lot on this tour. All of the "tour guides" were in period costumes and COULD NOT break character. Now, it's not their fault, but I just can't stand period acting like that. When I go on a brewery tour I want to sample a couple of the beers and learn about it, too. We didn't hear much at all about the actual brewing process. A few minutes at the beginning, that's it. They are very generous with their samples (everyone got two full pints), but I didn't learn a thing. It was all stories and old-timey singing (shudder) and 1800s poker. Whatever. Speaking of the two pints, that was sweet, but we were not given enough time to finish them. I had to gulp down my second one and spilled all over the place. I'd like to enjoy my beer, thank you. The tour is $15.95 for adults and runs every half hour in the summer from noon til 8pm (less frequently otherwise). They have a decent gift shop, though. Go if you consider period acting to be mildly entertaining and think the price is worth it for two "free" pints. Otherwise, grab a Keith's or any other Nova Scotian beer anywhere else on Water Street.

This is by far the most delightful brewery tour I've ever experienced. All future brewery tours will undoubtedly pale in comparison. Now, OK, you're not going to get totally hammered. If you do brewery tours for all-you-can-drink beer, you would probably be better served elsewhere. What you do get is 1-2 mugs of tasty beer, depending on how fast you drink them. If you're going for an in-depth look at the beer-making process, you may be better off surfing YouTube. You'll learn a little, but this is really more about the show than the learning experience. But if you want an entertaining and whimsical experience, a peek into the way breweries operated in the 1800s, a refreshing drink, and a nice show, this is a wonderful way to spend an hour. Tour guides are dressed in 1800s clothing. They speak in the 1800s manner. And they join the guests in a cozy little room to tell jokes, play cards, sing, and dance. The woman who spoke to us was completely adorable. More than a week later, I'm still smiling as I recall this experience. Such a great time.

I can't believe that I've never been since I moved to Halifax 10 years ago! And I am a sucker for cheesy tours like that! On Saturday, my friends decided to do the tour since it was pouring rain and there was nothing else to do. So the 7 of us went and had a blast. I loved the actors in their period costumes (the time-traveller/sci-fi geek in me pretty much digs that!) I will be doing this again when my cousins are in town from Boston!

Im going to start off by saying, I was NOT expecting the whole acting and singing bit. The first beer was nice, the second was good, a third would have been great! And if they started the tour off with beer it would have been even better! The acting was OK. Not great but I guess you have to be overexcited and full of piss and vinegar to be able to make a brewery tour exciting! Just give me the beer!

Really fun, welcoming and engaging. The staff knew what they were talking about with the beer brewing process, and you get a fair share of delicious Keiths samples along the way! Would highly recommend!

What a joke. If you are a brewery and/or beer person this is NOT the place for you. I decided to check it out a little before I decided if I wanted to do the tour or not and after my observations decided it would be a waste of my time. I sat in the bar to try the beers first and they only had two of their own on tap, the IPA and the Red Amber Ale. I got a pint of the Red Amber and it was super boring and tasteless. Between the lack of choices and the not tasty beer I decided to look elsewhere to get my beer fix. Maybe the tour could have been fun, I will never know, but the beer was not good and that is the most important part.

You should drop by to get your tickets ahead of time if you need to stick to a schedule. Some time slots do sell out. The tour was just okay; there wasn't as much of historical information to read or appreciate as I would have liked. It was difficult to compare this to the Heineken tour in Amsterdam considering that brewery is much newer but is much more interesting at almost almost the same price point. It is just one of those tourist things to do to see the beautiful building that the brewery is in.

Terrible, just absolutely terrible. I can understand people rating this tour as 4's or 5's, etc. But not me, and I'll admit, it's a personal rating. My problem with the tour is that it's not based on how beer is made, which is what my expectations were going in. Maybe that was my fault. But when I heard 'beer tour' that's what I thought. Instead, what you get is a full advertisement of Keith's beer. I guess that's okay. To top it off, it's filled with awkward acting, cringe moments and 2 rushed pints. Again, I'm sure there are people who went to the brewery thinking it was fantastic, unfortunately, I'm not one of those people. I wanted to learn about how beer is made from inception to completion.

We had a great time on this tour. We enjoyed the history of the brewery and learning about the brewing process. We also enjoyed the singing at the pub at the end of the tour. They had lemonade and iced tea for the kids, which was appreciated. There were a number of stairs though so we wished we had brought our baby carriers. Not so sure about that Low-Tide ale though Brewmaster...

(This is too the bar, not the Brewery tours) Dear servers, when there is someone sitting at the bar slurring their words, continually spilling their drinks over themselves and the people around them, and is a lot louder then needed.... please cut them off. From a concerned by stander.

So we were in port off a cruise. What a great find! We've been on many beer tours, but this one is unusual. It was fun and campy. A lot about the history of the brewery, small amount about brewing beer. So if you get a chance, this is cool stop! Got kids? They give them lemonade and they would find this tour fun as well.

Brewery tour was just ok. Liked the buildings and history but it is overpriced for what you get. They also rush you through it and although they had 5 different beers in the tasting room you are only allowed to try 2! Never heard of that before. Won't be back.

Interesting tour of the brewery led by characters in historic costume. You find out all about the history of the brewery and Alexander Keith. The tour takes about an hour and you get a tasting at the end during which you swear an oath, hand on heart, to keep on drinking lots of Alexander Keith's beers! Lots of branded merchandise such as tee shirts and tankards available in the shop at the end of the tour to take away as a souvenir. All in all a fun and informative tour, especially if you love beer!

Legitimately the best fish & chips I've ever had. Waitstaff is so nice! I have a good feeling this is a place both locals and tourists love.

Such a great experience! 2 small tester glasses and 2 "Nova Scotia" sized samplers. Staff was friendly, knowledgable and made for a great afternoon! Great value, student discount!!

Tour was really interesting and the beer is great. Good experience. Not disappointed at all for coming here.

It's $25, you get two 16 oz mugs of beer at the end. I think they should offer an actual tour of the real brewery as I find those are more interesting as you are really seeing how they make their beer. This tour is theatrical and is more of a history lesson on how the company was formed in the 19th century and early 20th century. One thing I found contradicting was when the tour group was sat down in front of a TV in an old style room to watch a video on Alexander Keith....when just moments before we were told we were stepping back in time and should not have our cell phones out/on as to not confuse the people of the 1800's (employees dressed up). I don't think I would recommend this tour based on the $25 entry fee. It felt very rushed and systematic so that they could get as many people in and out in groups during the time blocks.

Average beer, but ridiculously dumb tour. The tour guides were 'actors' in period costumes, with bad accents. It appeared to be geared towards children, but being a brewery tour there were none. 5 minutes into the tour I was looking for a way out.

Great fun, ignore the hater reviews, if you know how to enjoy a fun light hearted time then you will like.

If you like a silly, campy experience with overacting and beer at the end, it's a good time. Just don't expect to ask any serious questions about beer. But we enjoyed ourselves.

Don't go to this expecting to learn anything of substance concerning Keith's beers, their brewing process or the history of the brewery. What you will see is a group of actors I feel sorry for. Their cheesy, exaggerated portrayals of 19th century characters destroys the potential that this beautiful heritage building has. The two sample size beer you are given isn't enough given the song and dance (yes... song and dance) you have to sit through as part of the "brewery" tour. Congratulations Anheuser Busch on making a mockery of what may have once been a great beer. Save your $25 admission fee and go to one of the nearby microbreweries.

This brewery has tremendous history and potential. Instead of providing any of that, we saw people dance and sing in periodic costumes. Make sure you down your sample- they kick you after the tune.

We had a small group for the tour and it was wonderful. We liked the peroid costumes, songs and history lesson. The tasting during the tour was generous and cold. You can pair this attraction with a sail on the Silva tall ship at the water front, just make sure you get the receipt so you can attend each attraction on 2 different days (if needed).

Tour of brewery was great! Live music with beer tasting and tour. Red Stagg restaurant has great fish and chips and service is great.

I went to Alexander Keith's Brewery for a class trip. Pretty cool. I also should probably mention I am a huge Keith's fan. We all went on the tour, which I highly recommend, especially if you feel sleepy and need to be woken up. The period characters (guides) who showed you around inside the brewery, were very energetic and full of life. The tour was like travelling back in time. You learned a bit about the history of how the brewery came to be, and then....you stopped in at the tavern where the locals sang and danced and played games while being able to taste many a mug of beer. The tasters were quite generous. Round 1..Round 2. It was great fun. Not only was the tour enjoyable, but there is a full courtyard area of shops and an actual tavern you can order food and drinks..i mean Keith's. A must see if you are in Halifax.

Just in the keiths bar having a drink. Always a relaxed atmosphere and a great place to grab a drink while visiting the old farmers market on a sat. Enjoy the atmosphere, cesars are great and prices arnt bad. The bartenders are always friendly which makes the visit that much more enjoyable.

Alexander Keith's Indian Pale Ale is great. I am GERMAN and know how Beer must taste. The tour is very beautiful and it is sung and danced.

What a great tour, we loved it!! The tour was very informative, fun and interesting! The staff plays the part of the characters very well. The games at the end of the tour are a lot of fun in the pub while you get to taste the beer.