Eight Norwood Women Launch the Town’s First Official Bar Tour-August 18, 1989

Plan to Visit 23 Establishments in Seven Hours

For years, Maryanne Puchalski dreamed of visiting every single bar in Norwood. That dream became reality when Puchalski and seven of her friends embarked on the town’s very first “Official Bar Tour,” a meticulously planned seven-hour expedition spanning 23 local watering holes.

Organized by Puchalski and Eileen Barss of Gay Street, the group of eight middle-aged Norwood residents—who have known each other for years through community ties like PTA groups and Cub Scouts—mapped out a rigid itinerary starting at 5:00 p.m. and wrapping up at midnight. To maintain strict safety and pacing, the women enlisted a dedicated designated driver who abstained entirely from alcohol, while Maryanne’s husband, Joseph Puchalski, rented a minivan from Eastern Air Charter for about $25 to chauffeur the group. With spouses strictly barred from joining what was billed as a definitive women’s night out, participant Anna Bernini ordered custom T-shirts for the group to commemorate the evening, complete with space for bartenders to autograph the fabric.

Despite the marathon venue count, the women emphasized that the excursion was designed for camaraderie and exploration rather than excess. “It’s got to be very clear that we’re not out there to get drunk,” Barss stressed. “Most of the time, we will order one drink and each of us will take a sip.” Armed with clipboards, the group evaluated each establishment across four key criteria—cleanliness, service, quality, and atmosphere—assigning one- to four-star ratings to be shared with bar managers.

Compiling the route required consulting local liquor license records, which revealed a total of 31 establishments selling alcohol in Norwood. Determining that visiting all 31 within a single night was a logistical impossibility, the organizers trimmed the list to 23 dedicated bar venues. Interestingly, the mapping process debunked local lore: while South Norwood historically held a reputation as the town’s premier drinking hub, the tour route proved that 9 bars were clustered along Route 1, 10 were situated in the uptown area, and only 4 remained in South Norwood. (Reporting by Lyndsey Layton, The Patriot Ledger).

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger