Raise Your Holiday Spirits!

Raise Your Holiday Spirits is a special guided tour and spirit tasting experience at the Halifax Citadel. Reserve tickets on a public tour or book a private group tour.

Spirit tasting experience

Celebrate the holidays on a special tour and tasting with a kilted 78th Highlander as your guide. Go behind the scenes at the historic Halifax Citadel to discover holiday traditions of the British Military and how they raised their spirits!

Savour three Halifax Citadel-aged spirits and a holiday Spiced Rum crafted by award-winning Compass Distillers.

Experience highlights:

• After-hours access to Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, a restored 19th-century British fortification with stunning views of Halifax.
• A kilted 78th Highlander shares holiday traditions and stories of how alcohol was used in the British military; both a blessing and a curse – depending on who you ask!
• Enjoy a guided tasting of three unique spirits created exclusively for the Halifax Citadel Society by award-winning Compass Distillers.
• Embrace the holidays with a sample of Compass' Spiced Rum paired with festive holiday food!
• Get the scoop on Compass Distillers’ locally sourced "grain to bottle" distilling approach.

Availability

Dates and times

Public tours:

Available on select Friday evenings from November to December, from 7:30 pm to 8:45 pm

Please check Eventbrite for upcoming dates and tickets, or call 902-426-1990

Private tours:

Available on select evenings from November to December

Duration

75 minutes

Group sizes

Public tours: Maximum 25 people

Private tours: 2-25 people

Languages

Public tours: Available in English only

Private tours: Available in English or French

Reservations and payment

Prices

Cost: See Halifax Citadel Society prices

Participants must be 19 years of age or older

Cancellation policy

Cancellations are accepted up to 72 hours prior to the scheduled day of the tour. Please note that Eventbrite fees are not refundable.

Contact Halifax Citadel Society to cancel. For more information, call 902-426-1990.

Participants will be notified 48 hours in advance if the tour is cancelled due to inclement weather forecast, if the minimum number of participants to run the tour hasn't been met, or for unforeseen circumstances. If the program is cancelled by the Halifax Citadel Society, participants will receive a full refund (including Eventbrite fees). 

Good to know

Dress warmly. Wear warm clothes and hats, gloves, or mittens, because tours include indoor and outdoor locations.

Meet at the front kiosk of the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site at the designated program time. If arriving on foot, you can reach the front kiosk via the sidewalk from Sackville Street or the pathway from Brunswick Street, beside the Old Town Clock.

Parking is permitted in the pull-offs located around the Perimeter Road.