Winnipeg Nightlife

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Club Information:

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After a grand opening in 2008, Whiskey Dix is a relatively new addition to the Winnipeg Nightclub scene. Located at 436 Main Street, Whiskey Dix makes it home in the historic, Exchange District building that used to house the popular Empire Cabaret. After an unfortunate string of violence forced the Empire to close, new management has stepped in and overtook the troubled bar, completely revamping the image in an attempt to shed much of the negative association that came with the location.

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The result of this is a one of a kind nightclub which boasts a “Top 40 with a Country Twist” theme. Whiskey Dix, like many new bars in Winnipeg (Republic, Vivid etc.), has also decided to cater to a more mature clientele and enforce a 21+ age restriction on weekends. Whiskey Dix has recently added “Turntable Tuesdays” to its list of club nights which will finally offer those under 21 a chance to come and check out the club.

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Like any full service nightclub, Whiskey Dix has a full array of VIP and Reservation options (including a Patio VIP package and the luxurious Skyy Box) to allow you to customize your night out to your liking. The nightclub is also unique in that it features 3 distinct areas within it that all offer a completely different experience. This unique feature of the club allows Whiskey Dix to offer something for people of all ages, musical interests, and ideas of a night out.

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Review:

Saturday, June 6^th 2009

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After hearing nothing but good things about Whiskey Dix, I finally decided it was time to check it out for myself. The 2 most important pieces of advice I was given were “dress nice” and “arrive early”. Boy am I glad I listened to both as both proved to be very true. My friends and I arrived at around 10:15 PM. As we walked around to the front entrance of the club we got a full view of the beautiful patio. There were already around 100 people there both sitting down casually and dancing. As we rounded the front of the club, we were surprised to see a fairly large line so early (around 50 people or so).

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The line moved at a rather good pace and within 15 minutes or so we reached the doorman. The doorman was polite but firm at the same time. I was asked to tuck in my silver chain. Two of my male friends were denied entry because their shoes were “too grubby”. One of the friends offered the bouncer $20 to let him in but the bouncer stood his ground which was commendable. The bouncer did allow my friend to go home and grab new shoes and let him in right away instead of making him wait in line again. Also a group of males in front of us were denied entry because they were less than 21 years old. After getting in, our ID’s were scanned, paid a $5.00 cover charge, and were given a thorough pat down.

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I must say that this is for sure the most secure bar in the city. There were more bouncers then I have ever seen in a Winnipeg Bar. The bouncers were also all very large (including the largest man I have ever seen) and attentive to what was going on. It would be foolish to try anything stupid at Whiskey Dix, as I am sure you would not get away with it (and most likely get hurt). That being said, throughout the night I found security quite helpful and polite whenever I asked them a question or talked to them. They did not have the typical “bouncer” attitude and for that they should be commended.

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After getting in the bar I immediately headed to the patio that I saw when I first came in. I must say, the patio is the most beautiful in the city by far. It has 2 full service bar, beer/shot carts, a DJ playing House/Dance music, lots of great seating, tons of elevated dance floors, and plenty of heat lamps (which were especially nice on this brisk night). We sat down at a table (which had a great view of the Portage and Main office buildings) and ordered a few drinks. At the table beside us was UFC fighter Krzysztof Soszynski who ended up being a great, personable guy to have a drink with. Beer comes in cans and mixed drinks come in plastic cups at Whiskey Dix. This is a wise security decision that again shows Whiskey Dix commitment to safety. Drinks were reasonably priced and I paid $10 for a beer and Vodka Water Lime including tip. We stayed on the patio probably for an hour and a half. By the time I finally ventured inside, the patio was packed to the point that there was a line up to get on to it. It was definitely the highlight of the club for me.

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I was shocked at the size of the main floor of the club. The high roof really made it huge and spacious despite people being shoulder to shoulder. There were bars and beer carts almost everywhere you looked so getting a drink was never a problem. The music on the main floor alternated between a DJ playing Top 40/Dance and a band playing Rock/Country (music like Buckcherry, Lynard Skynard, Kid Rock etc.). The dance floor was packed with people dancing as well as a number of people around the side just taking in the atmosphere. After dancing for a bit and listening to the band, I asked a bouncer where the washroom was when he told me the closest one was downstairs.

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The Whiskey Dix basement is yet another part of the bar with a totally different feeling then the historic gallery main floor and the big city feeling patio. The basement plays mostly Rap/Hip Hop with some Dance music. It has a definite, underground/afterhours type feel to it. Dance floors take up a majority of the space and it is dimly lit with blue/red neon lights. The roof is also very low and it has a cramped feel to it. I grabbed a few drinks down their and my friends and I danced for a bit. I ended up getting quite hot in the basement though likely due to it being poorly ventilated and crammed with people.

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I only have a few complaints about my experience at Whiskey Dix. First of all the washrooms were quite small for a nightclub of that size. From what I heard males were waiting 10 minutes and females were waiting up to 20 minutes. I also was only able to find the washrooms in the basement which was rather inconvenient (although there may be more I am unsure). Secondly, going from one part of the club to another could have flowed better. The stairs to go to the basement were extremely narrow and steep. It was really uncomfortable if people were coming up and going down the same stairs. This could be fixed by designating one set as only “up” and the second stair set as only “down”. My final piece of criticism was that once the patio was full, you had to line up to get outside. If you were already on the patio and needed to go to the washroom or only step inside for a minute, it seems unfair to have to wait in a line to have to wait 20 minutes to get back out to meet your friends. I am unsure how Whiskey Dix could fix this (maybe a wristband or stamp system) but is something they may want to look at.

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I left Whiskey Dix at around 1:45 AM in order the beat the rush at close (2:00 AM). There were plenty of cabs waiting outside for patrons. Overall I had a great time at Whiskey Dix and plan to go back very soon. The crowd was one of the best I have seen. There were lots of good looking people who did not seem snobby or pretentious. It was again a very diverse crowd with people of all ages and races (although some parts of the bar attracted some cliques more then others). I truly feel anyone could enjoy themselves whether they are looking to sit down and talk with friends over a few drinks, or have more then just a few drinks and dance the night away.
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