Halifax barber Robert Oxner has been serving complimentary beer to his customers for more than two years, but police have told him he needs to stop cracking open a cold one for his clients.

A lone beer remains in the fridge at Saint Lou’s Gentlemen’s Barbershop, but Oxner says it’s off-limits after a plainclothes officer acting on an anonymous complaint made a surprise visit to his shop on Upper Water Street on Wednesday.

“It was basically meant as let’s meet and greet and keep people informed as to what type of regulations are out there that they have to abide by,” says Halifax Regional Police Const. Holly Tooke.

The officer also paid a visit to Sailor Bup’s Barbershop on Sackville Street.

“He just said he had a complaint from a competitor that we were selling alcohol in here, which has never, ever happened,” says owner Mark Peyton.

Both shops received a warning, but were not fined.

Both Peyton and Oxner thought they were meeting guidelines under Nova Scotia’s Liquor Control Act.

“The fact that you can give alcohol as a gift,” says Peyton.

Oxner says he consulted a lawyer and also contacted the province’s Alcohol and Gaming Division before offering beer to customers.

“I outlined in the email what we planned on doing, so I figured, if we weren’t supposed to be doing it, they would have definitely told us,” says Oxner.

“I contacted the Liquor Commission, I contacted the Nova Scotia government, I asked all the questions, and I just went with what I was told I could do,” says Peyton.

However, police say the barbershop owners were given bad advice.

“Because it’s considered a public place and you are serving alcohol to patrons, you do have to possess a licence to do that,” says Tooke.

But that isn’t sitting well with regular customers who have grown accustomed to guzzling a beer while visiting the barbershops.

“It’s nothing you ever pay for,” says client Peter Nahar. “It’s just an offer, whether you want to take it or you don’t.”

“It’s no different than giving a beer to a friend or a buddy,” says customer Jeremie Saunders.

Sailor Bup's is still keeping beer in the fridge, but the shop has switched to non-alcoholic brew.

“I’m pretty sure I can’t get in trouble for that,” says Peyton.

The owners of both shops say they may apply for liquor licences so they can continue offering a cold one to their customers.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Jayson Baxter