An All About Après top choice for skiing and riding's best après ski beers.
Photo Credits: Pfriem Family Brewers.
Always on a mission to bring you the best tasting après ski beers from around the country, I recently came across Pfriem (pronounced freem) Family Brewers.
Located in Hood River, Oregon, their 15 barrel brewery is pumping out some seriously tasty Belgian inspired beers while staying true to their Northwest roots. They also happen to have an excellent tasting room with beautiful views of the Columbia and White Salmon Rivers where you can chow down on food from their Belgian inspired menu while you sip their award winning beers.
Although there was no skiing for me this past weekend, that does not mean there was no après. There is always time for après. So, armed with a few beers from Pfriem and with the snow coming down in NJ pretty heavily last Saturday, I headed outside for a more authentic tasting of these three après ski beers.
Pilsner 4.9% ABV:
Available year round, this lower ABV pilsner makes this the perfect beer after a day on the mountain. The body has a slightly sweet, honey taste while finishing off with a crisp, spicy finish. It's a truly refreshing take on a traditional Belgian pils.
Winter Ale 7.5% ABV:
This is all a winter ale should be. Notes of spice, orange and caramel make you want to sit by the fire in your après ski clothing and sip this tasty beer all night long.
CDA 7.5% ABV:
CDA is a dark ale that is very approachable, even for those who do not enjoy darker beers. Despite its hoppiness, I found it well balanced with roasted toffee-like flavors. However, my favorite part was the pillowy head that sat on top catching snowflakes falling from the sky.
The CDA was probably my favorite of the three, although it was very tough to decide since these are three of the best beers that I have had all year, and I have certainly had my share of them.
*All brewery information and pictures are courtesy of Pfriem Family Brewers.
