It's a wrap! The 2020-2021 ski season is over for me. Albeit a different kind of ski season. It was still a really fun one. Together with close friends we managed to make the best of the unique situation that was skiing through a pandemic. Booting up in the car and masking up in and around the base became the new norm.
Searching For New Craft Beers
Après-ski was also more of a challenge this ski season. I love sampling new craft beers while chilling in the lodge at a ski resort. It's where I do my best research. However, this ski season, I was forced off campus, so to speak. I headed elsewhere to bars and markets away from the resorts in order to find new and enticing craft beers. So as I trade in my ski pants for board shorts and shift from après-ski to après-surf, here are my five favorite après-ski beers from this past ski season.
My Top Five Favorite Ski Beers of the Season
Common Roots Brewing Company: Gondola Session IPA
Photo Credit: Common Roots Brewing Instagram
Hailing from Glens Falls, NY en route to the thick of Adirondack country, the people of Common Roots Brewing know the important relationship good beer has with outdoor activities. This is especially true when it comes to skiing and snowboarding. Gondola Session pays tribute to these pursuits as well as the antique Gore Mountain gondola it was named for. Heavily hopped, this face shot of citrus, hits your nose immediately upon opening the can. Orange and guava notes then go schussing over your tongue for a highly tasty yet super drinkable beer.
Lawson's Finest Liquids: Castlerock IPA
Photo Credit: Lawson's Finest Liquids Instagram
Named for the famed trail at Sugarbush, there is nothing like drinking a Castlerock IPA while chilling out on a 60 degree day in the village in front of Castlerock Pub. I should know. I drank plenty of them the day I was there this spring. Filled with hoppy juiciness yet still very crisp, it hits the spot après-ski. The best part is that a portion of the proceeds go to Protect Our Winters, so drinking it is good for the environment too. How can you go wrong?
Big Tree Brewing Company: Yacht Rock IPA
If you have Yacht Rock at your house après-ski or anytime for that matter, Yah Mo Be There. It is easily one of the best beers that I've had this year. They claim it's a New England IPA but I just don't see that. The haze just isn't there but the flavor certainly is. For me, this is more of a Pale Ale. Tropical with plenty of citrus notes, Yacht Rock delivers on taste. Yet, for all its juicy flavor this IPA is quite light on the mouth making for a delectable drinking experience.
Thin Man Brewery: Pills Mafia Pilsner
Photo Credit: Thin Man Brewery Instagram
If you are skiing in New York State, particularly near Ellicottville, then there is a good chance you'll be able to find this Pilsner. It's exactly what you'd expect from this style of beer, a little bready but not overly sweet. The taste is also quite clean and delightfully dry making this a medium bodied Pilsner an excellent choice when finishing your day on the mountain.
Warning: Excessive Consumption may cause you to body slam people on tables in parking lots.
Snow Republic Brewery: My Hands Feel Like Two Maracas DIPA
Photo Credit: @snowrepublic_brewer Instagram
We've probably all had a day of skiing or snowboarding where it was so damn cold that your hands felt this way. It's not good but this Double IPA sure is. The huge dose of Sabro hops to the Mosaic and Citra hops gives it the lusciousness you'd expect from a Double IPA. However, where it really sets itself apart is the addition of Cholaca pure liquid coconut which gives My Hands Feel Like Two Maracas an even more tropical flavor.
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