For Whom the Bell Tolls

Just in time for our Tasting Room’s 1-year anniversary party this Thursday, October 5th, we will be able to call ourselves a true Yukon bar, as we’ll have the bell to prove it.

It’s a common sight in the Yukon and Alaska to see a bell in every bar and if you’ve been around long enough maybe you’ve been lucky to be in a bar when one has been rung (meaning you got a free drink along with everyone else).

The rule with the bell originates from the old mining days, when miners used to celebrate their gold discoveries by ringing the bell and buying everyone in the bar a drink.

Our particular bell is from the old Curling Rink in Elsa, YT that was given to Marko’s dad, Anto (aka Tony), in 1980 when he left the community, after decades of working in the silver mines around Elsa and Keno.  The story goes that Tony rang the bell the most of anyone for rounds on him over the years, and was always ringing the bell for anyone’s birthday.  When we moved to the Yukon nearly 10 years ago, Tony gifted us the bell. Little did we know we would own our own bar someday!

 

Community of Elsa, YT circa 1958 (Photo Credit: Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montréal, © Estate of George Hunter R.C.A).

 

Starting October 5th, you can ring the bell to your hearts content.  If the Tasting Room is at capacity, buying each and every person a pint would be around $300, requiring some decent pay dirt.  That being said, not everyone is ready and willing to take you up on a free beer at the end of the night.  We get that, and have made that mistake before!  So, we’ve got some sweet wooden beer tokens so that you can save your free drink for another time.

If you haven’t made friends at Winterlong yet, I’m sure you will if you ring the bell.  And when that bell tolls, order a Pingo Pale Ale, Tony’s favourite WL brew.

 

Hand-crafted wooden beer tokens, so you can save your 'free pint' for later.