Living midway between a pair of wonderfully restored train station eating/drinking establishments (Valhalla Crossing and the Iron Horse up in Priusville), we’re partial to creative uses for old train stations, especially when they involve alcohol.

So is blogging Yankee apologist 9nine9, who gives high marks to the Irish Rail–doing business out of the Manasquan train station in jersey. Unlike Valhalla Crossing and the Iron Horse, the Rail shares space with a still functional train station.

9nine9 writes:

The bar is, literally, the Manasquan New Jersey Transit train station. There’s a small waiting room and ticket booth, and The Rail takes up the rest of the building.

On Thursdays, The Rail offers $3 pints of Guinness, Bass and Smithwicks. Since Guinness makes up about one-third of my blood, and it would be unhealthy to risk fluctuations in that ratio, I decided to take the train rather than driving. I’ve always been very good about having no more than two drinks before driving, and I knew there was no way in hell I was limiting myself to a pair of $3 pints of Guinness (great pour, by the way).

9nine9 says the stellar Guinness made the six-hour round trip from Hoboken worthwhile–even if a truly bizarre seatmate with a penchant for screaming Billy Joel lyrics significantly subtracted from the experience.