NEW YORK — A bit of barroom philosophy, courtesy of Dan Freeman: The longest journey begins with but a single sip.

Freeman should know. The Brooklynite set out Jan. 1 to visit 1,000 bars in a single year, a quest that began with one scotch and soda in Mike's Pelham Grill. Five months and 500 bars later, the Don Quixote of drink is well on his way to achieving his boozy impossible dream.

Why 1,000 bars? Why not?

"There wasn't any grand scheme," said Freeman, a tall draft beer in hand at bar No. 500, The Gate in Brooklyn. "I just wanted to see how many bars you could hit in a year, and 1,000 seemed reasonable."

The retired computer consultant launched a simultaneous Web log — http://thousandbars.blogspot.com/ — about his pursuit, converting Freeman into something of a cyber cult figure. Several online fans greeted Freeman at The Gate recently, getting their pictures taken or sharing a drink and a story.

Another fan offered this post on the blog: "Congrats to you and your liver."

Freeman aims to visit four or five bars a day, but that number varies. He has knocked back a Sam Adams at the Raccoon Lodge in Manhattan, a sake at the Kotobuki Bistro in Brooklyn and a gin and tonic at Hobson's Choice in Hoboken, N.J.

It's not as much fun as it sounds, or so he insists.

"Some days it's like work," he said. "You look up and it's, 'Ah, 1 p.m., I'd better go hit my five bars.' " But, "It's really more fun than anything, going around and talking to people."

Freeman says he generally has one drink in a bar. He never counts the same bar twice, and each place must have an actual bar where he can sit and order a drink. A cocktail with dinner, seated at a table, is invalid.

"If you stop to think, I'm drinking 3 or 4 beers a day," he said. "I'm not pounding down a fifth. It sounds like a lot more alcohol consumption than it is."

Freeman, who spends much of his time walking between bars, said he has actually lost three pounds since January.

Given his current pace, Freeman hopes to finish his work early. Tentative plans are for a midtown Manhattan visit to bar No. 1,000 on Dec. 4, his 61st birthday, although he remains philosophical about that, too.

"It's like somebody posted on my blog ... 'If you don't have a dream, how can you make a dream come true?' " Freeman said.

"I'm not sure exactly how that translates to this, but OK."