New Hampshire Rail Riders Rejoice: Booze Will Now Served on Board

Earlier this week, we heard that riders of the AMTRAK Downeaster would not be able to imbibe when riding the rails through New Hampshire.  The reason given for the railway prohibition was the fact that the alcohol being consumed was not sold in the State of New Hampshire.

Having spent over a decade living in New Hampshire, the idea that they would prevent liquor consumption over something like this, does not surprise me.  The Granite-Staters are finicky when it comes to their alcohol laws.  We could have an hours long conversation about NH liquor laws!

Now, it appears that the State of New Hampshire has, temporarily, reversed the decision from earlier this week while it works out a creative solution to the problem.

The train, which takes passengers on a 145 mile long trip from Maine to Boston, Massachusetts spends about 35 miles in the State of New Hampshire. The service has been running for two decades, but the alcohol situation has never been a problem before.  Why?

According to an article in the KJ, the New Hampshire liquor commission said in a statement Tuesday that the Massachusetts-based company that provides the train’s food and beverage service was in the process of renewing its liquor license when it “inadvertently acknowledged that it had been in violation” of the State of New Hampshire's liquor laws.

While the state continues to work out the problem, they will allow the train to serve beer, wine, and cocktails to passengers.

If you are looking for a convenient way to make the trip from Maine to downtown Boston, there is no better option.  The best part is that the train rolls right into the basement of the TD Garden!  Get more deets and book your tickets HERE.