The best après-ski moments are celebrations of the day’s adventures in the company of good friends. After tackling the challenges of the mountain and playing in the snow, it’s a happy tradition to gather with the gang and relax by a crackling fire, sharing the cozy comfort surrounded by festive snacks and drinks that warm the evening hours.
Ski resorts and mountain towns offer a blizzard of après scenes, from old-school to unexpected, and that’s why it’s always fun to see what creativity comes to the table each winter. Here are some of our favorites for the season.
Tavernetta Vail (Vail, Colorado)
Photo by Charles Townsend
Frasca Hospitality Group brings its James Beard-awarded and Michelin Guide-recognized brilliance to the mountains with Tavernetta Vail, capturing the easy elegance of Sprezzatura Alpina at the Four Seasons Resort and Residences Vail. Hit the buzzer at the Spritz Window, (a playful tribute to traditional Tuscan and northern Italian wine windows) and reach for one of the seasonal spritz cocktails, including a San Polo Spritz, Limoncello Spritz, or Venetian Spritz. Then, join friends for an Après-Tivo, served at the indoor bar or outdoors on a heated terrace with views of the slopes. Menu offerings range from light bites to hearty dishes, showcasing handmade pastas and imported Italian cheeses and meats in Piatti di Cicchetti, Gorgonzola e Miele, Cacio e Pepe, and Burrata with Trapanese Pesto and Focaccia Breadcrumbs.
Après Only (Stowe, Vermont)
Photo by Savannah Brown
Time travel back to the glory days of the 1980s at Stowe’s Après Only in the Field Guide Lodge, a playfully retro “Vermont Watering Hole” with a colorful rumpus room vibe. Decorated with vintage ski gear and pops of burnt orange, the family-friendly menu includes charcuterie boards heaped with Vermont cheeses, toasty grilled cheese sandwiches with Vermont cheddar on sourdough, Swedish meatballs, chili cheese dogs, deviled eggs, warm pretzels, and nostalgia-favorite SpaghettiOs (available topped with a hot dog or a side of Ritz). Finish up with DIY Tabletop S’mores, and you’re ready for a nap in front of the fireplace. Drinks include Stowe Cider, beers from von Trapp (yes, that von Trapp) Brewing, Vermont Hockey Mom Hard Seltzer, and housemade cocktails featuring local bourbon and Bar Hill Gin.
Hotel Jerome (Aspen, Colorado)
Courtesy of Hotel Jerome
This winter, Aspen’s historic Hotel Jerome is serving high tea at high altitude in the lush surroundings of the recently reimagined, Victorian-conservatory-inspired Garden Room. Après Tea guests can snuggle into vintage wingback armchairs and peruse a menu that includes an array of TEALEAVES premium loose-leaf teas, tea-infused cocktails and mocktails, and Louis Roederer Champagne served in Waterford crystal. Sweet and savory treats perch three tiers high and include mushroom tarts, smoked trout with watercress and tomato, beef tartare with burnt onion aioli, pickled kohlrabi, and rye, plus chestnut macarons with honey and black truffle, caramelized hazelnut millefeuille with praline-vanilla ganache, cranberry eclairs, and huckleberry scones. You can even add Petrossian Select Royal Ossetra Caviar for an opulent upgrade.
Chute Eleven (Park City, Utah)
Courtesy of Deer Valley Resort
Step out of your skis and into the luxe Champagne yurt at Deer Valley Resort’s Chute Eleven, where cozy leather sofas draped with faux-fur throws beckon and Laurent-Perrier bubbles await. Guests can nibble on truffle potato chips with lemon aioli; conquer a seafood tower stacked with fresh oysters on the half shell, jumbo shrimp, and red king crab; or opt for a decadent Ossetra caviar grilled cheese with poached lobster tail. Libations range from local Deer Valley Pilsner and High West Whiskey to creative cocktails like Huck n’ Bubbles, combining Lolo huckleberry vodka, Five Wives vanilla vodka, and huckleberry syrup in a dance with Brut Champagne. New for this year: the $500 L’Or du Val cocktail, crafted from Frapin Extra Cognac, Giffard Cassis Noir de Bourgogne, Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle, and golden blackberry.
Flute & Fromage (Whistler, British Columbia, Canada)
Courtesy of Flute & Fromage and Tourism Whistler
Ski-racer-turned-cheesemonger, Tara May, drew inspiration from her world travels to launch Flute & Fromage at Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort in the heart of Whistler Village, offering 80-plus cheeses and a variety of cheese-forward après-ski delights. Fondue aficionados can choose between traditional Swiss fondue blending Emmentaler and Gruyère, or French Berthoud Savoyard fondue with Abondance cheese sourced from the Haute-Savoie region. The gooey comfort menu also features Baked Camembert, French Onion Grilled Cheese, Truffle Grilled Cheese, and Blue Cheese Grilled Cheese, along with a selection of natural wines from British Columbia, and France’s Savoie and Jura regions. A heated, outdoor après patio has blankets for staying cozy, or take a grazing board to go. You can even rent a fondue pot or raclette set and move the après party to your own chalet.
