It’s Ireland’s best hotel bar for good reason.

And as the leaves begin to change, so does the decor and ambience at The River Club, the National Hospitality Award-winning bar at the River Lee Hotel.

After a summer of floral fabulousness at Blossom Grove, the Lillet and Brown Thomas collab that turned the terrace into a cherry blossom dream during the past three months, this time, visitors are invited on a little time-travelling journey.

This weekend you can take a seat in the Harvest Carriage terrace, a Fever Tree partnership inspired by the heritage of the Cork and Muskerry Light Railway, which ran from Cork City to Blarney from the late 19th century until 1934.

Decorated in the gold and russet shades of autumn leaves with a canopy of branches and garlands overhead, the tables are divided from each other by wooden train-style doors, complete with historic station names, a nod to station architecture from another era.

The glamour.

Naturally, no first-class trip is complete without a grown-up drink in hand and the cocktail list at Harvest Carriage is bursting with bespoke new concoctions.

Here’s the new locomotive-themed cocktail list:

• The 1 shilling, 8 pence: Named after the first-class return fare on the Muskerry line, this drink is a blend of Hendrick’s Midsummer Solstice Gin, lemon and Fever-Tree Elderflower Tonic.
• The Hook and Eye: Inspired by the old local name for the train line, this low-alcohol cocktail is made with Method & Madness Gin, cold brew spiced chamomile tea, apple, lemon, Fever-Tree Spiced Orange Ginger Ale.
• The Locomojito: A fresh and zingy new take on an old favourite, made with Havana 3-Year-Old Rum, Coconut, pineapple, pomegranate, mint, lime and Fever-Tree Soda Water.
• The Gift of the Gab: An autumnal creation made with Longueville House Irish Apple Brandy, Apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, mint, Fever-Tree Ginger Beer, Peychaud’s Bitters.
• Nut-Eile Martini: The perfect dessert treat, sip a mix of Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition, frangelico, Five Farms Irish Cream Liqueur, nutella and cream.
• Cedar Station 7: The River Club’s non-alcoholic cocktail is a mix of Ceder’s Non-Alcoholic Gin, rose water and Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic.

Today, The River Club stands on the very site of the Old Western Road station on that line – in fact you can still see the remnants of the train tracks just under the terrace of the adjoining Grill Room restaurant.

If you can steal away for an overnight stay, the Tapas, Tipples and Trains package is a bargain €179 per night for two guests, accommodation, two signature cocktails and two small plates.

In all honesty, you could even say that a visit is as good as a lesson in local history (as if we needed an excuse).