Beer: it’s the cornerstone to any healthy college student’s life. Okay, that may be a stretch; however, if you are of age, then I can only assume that you have had the privilege to taste this heavenly nectar. Most students don’t know that there was once a time when beer was served in our very own Rensselaer Union. That’s right! In the 1980s you could walk into the Rathskeller and order a mug of beer with your food. This was, of course, before the changing of the drinking age from 18 to 21. Once three-quarters of the student body was no longer eligible to purchase alcohol, there was no reason to have beer available in the Rathskeller anymore, and thus a new need for a fount for campus life was born.
The eventual result of this void in student life was the creation of the Clubhouse Pub. If you have never heard of this wonderful place, the Clubhouse Pub is RPI’s very own campus bar. This is a place where members of the Rensselaer community that are of age can easily grab a beer or two without traveling too far from campus. The Clubhouse Pub opened in its current location in the Union on September 14, 1990, in the Student Union. In the late 90s during the Union’s renovation, it was relocated to the first floor, before it took its permanent location on the third floor. Formerly an open balcony, this now glass-enclosed area is home to what I would call the best work study job on campus.
The Clubhouse Pub provides a service to students beyond an average bar; in fact, I would hardly call this a “bar” in the normal sense of the word. This is a place where students can gather to hang out, do homework, or work on group projects while enjoying adult beverages. While the social setting of a normal bar exists in the Pub, it is more of a place of productivity. This is not your average bar, and if the Ethernet port-lined walls don’t give it away, the groups of people sitting at the tables on any given night should.
In addition to providing a place to work, the Pub is just a place that is generally fun to hang out at. The Pub is home to a very wide range of beers. From your standard Coor’s Light to a Franziskaner, the Pub has everything that you would expect a normal bar to have and then some. Along with the big-screen plasma TV, patrons can keep busy by participating in Tuesday’s Trivia Night, which is followed by the Pub’s dart league. Also, the semesterly beer tour should help you keep your sights open. Try a different beer every week and then get a custom T-shirt at the end to commemorate your experience. Not to mention that every night of the week there are drink specials, rounding out the week with a happy hour that has free food for all patrons.
If you have never been to the Pub and are of age, I would suggest giving it a chance. It could become your favorite study spot or regular stop on your way back from classes. It is open Monday through Friday from 4 pm–12 pm. There is also a friendly staff of student bartenders (including yours truly, now on my third year as a bartender). The Clubhouse Pub is a great place for of age people to hang out; I encourage everyone that can to go check it out.
