If there’s one thing skiers love almost as much as being on the hill, it’s après-ski. The French term directly translates to “after skiing,” but a loose, and perhaps more accurate, translation is “hitting the chalet for drinks and talking about snow stuff.” It’s an important part of the social scene and camaraderie in snow sports, but like all things, it has experienced some changes over the years. The main takeaway from all that change is that tailgates, folding chairs, and BYOB are just as enjoyable as fireside fondue and extensive craft cocktail lists. These are the new rules of après-ski, and they are making this beloved part of ski culture even better.
1. Now You Can Après All Day
Welcome to the Tailgate Bar, where the lines are nonexistent and the drinks are a fraction of the price. When you don’t have to plan your day around crowds and happy hour specials, après can quickly turn into before, during, and après-ski. Another surefire way to boost your après quotient: ditch the booze.
“I have no time for a hangover,” says pro skier and après-ski enthusiast Kaylin Richardson. “We came to ski, so let’s ski.”
Richardson, who happens to love craft beer, has a secret weapon when it comes to her alcohol-free approach to après: . The brand’s nonalcoholic craft beers pack all of the flavor and satisfaction of traditional brews with none of the downsides. Taking it easy on the all-day après means your quads will be the only thing holding you back from skiing first chair all the way to last chair.
2. Skip the Après-hension
Everyone who spends time on the slopes knows that coordinating a meetup is more challenging to pull off than sweaty, too-small base layers. You came to the mountains to be in the mountains, not indoors, stressing about overcrowded lodges and trying to track down Kevin, who never answers his phone. But collecting your group doesn’t have to push you to your wits’ end. Skip the social angst, grab a six-pack of , and meet your friends at the one place that always has plenty of space, never requires a reservation, and has an easygoing vibe—your back bumper. Bundle up, show up whenever, and hang easy. Your friends will always know where to find you (even Kevin), and a cold one will always be on hand. After all, reaching the top of Wit’s Peak is no tall task— just crack, sip, and ahhh…
3. Ditch the Highbrow Snackage
Gone are the bourgeois days of slopeside oysters, steak tartare, and canned air. Bratwurst cooked on a camp stove is pretty damn tasty and much more affordable. (Although if your tailgate game includes some of the finer things in life, hats off, my friend.) “Gimme some summer sausage, Ritz crackers, and cheddar cheese, and I’m golden,” says Richardson. “Even a deformed PB&J from my pocket is great.”
Shareable snacks that don’t break the bank are the preferred nosh of the New Age après-ski scene. Bonus points if you pack a propane grill and a cooler stocked with enough and brats to go around.
Tip: pairs well with just about any munchie. It’s a light-bodied craft brew with a citrusy aroma and some spicy notes. Plus, it’s crafted to remove gluten* for all to enjoy.
4. Turn Friendship and Laughter Up a Notch
The après-ski scene facilitates togetherness, laughter, and a chance to hear our friends’ crazy stories from the day. “Après gives us this beautiful bubble, this container of the day,” says advocate and snowboarder Dani Reyes-Acosta. “That container is community. It’s where we can see and feel why we go skiing and riding in the first place.”
So crack open and get ready for another embellished retelling of the most epic cliff drop ever skied. Richardson sums it up best: “Enjoying the company of the people you love, who love the things you love, that’s what après is all about.”
Founded in 2017, is the 13th largest craft brewer in America and the leading producer of nonalcoholic craft beer. Its brews are distributed in all 50 states and available at more than 50,000 retail stores nationwide. Athletic donates up to $2 million annually to protecting and restoring outdoor spaces across the globe via its Two for the Trails program. Athletic Brewing is a Certified B Corp. Its full-flavored near-beers and hop-infused sparkling waters are available on .
*Upside Dawn is fermented from grains containing gluten. The gluten content of this product cannot be verified, and this product may contain gluten.