Man of a thousand bars nears journey's end

Monica Novotny MSNBC Correspondent • Profile

When the character Don Birnem as played by Ray Milland went on a three-day binge in Manhattan in 1945 they made a movie out of it called "The Lost Weekend."

So why should Dan Freeman get his own film studio? 

On Friday, Mr. Freeman will amble up to the bar at The Pioneer on The Bowery in New York, order a libation and make it official: he's going to have had a drink in 1,000 different New York watering holes in just 365 days.

And what has Freeman learned?

"I learned that I'm never going to do this again," he said.

Much of Freeman's 2005 has been spent fulfilling his dream, visiting three to five bars almost every day, with simple rules accompanying the journey. There must be a physical bar in the establishment, and he has to consume at least one alcoholic beverage at that bar.

Other than the libations, Freeman has had a few perks come with the quest.

"Well, I've had people come into town and want to meet me and they've bought me drinks," he said. "One fellow sent me a ticket to a Yankees game."

One thing Freeman learned is that this trip has been more difficult than one would think.

"It was harder than I would have expected," he said. "Not the drinking part, but just going into different bars and finding different bars."

And as far as his New Year's resolution for 2006 is concerned? That's easy.

"I can say without a doubt that a New Year's resolution I'll keep will be going to fewer bars next year.  That's an easy one to keep."

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