The Best Drinks In America's Ski Towns

Traditionally, ski towns have been known for the quality of their snow and the speed of their chairlifts. And if you were lucky, there was a serviceable bar with a fireplace where you could warm up. But that's fortunately changing. A couple of years ago, we featured some high-altitude watering holes that were worth the price of a lift ticket, and we've recently found even more excellent après-ski spots. Now it's time to hit the slopes!

BLACK'S PUB, 4270 MOUNTAIN SQUARE, WHISTLER, B.C., 604-932-6945:
This Canadian bar's drinks list definitely deserves a double black diamond. There are nearly three dozen classic cocktails, plus 31 Scotches and almost 100 beers. That's not to mention that it's literally steps from the Whistler Blackcomb Excalibur gondola that takes you to the top of the slopes. Yes, the slopes that were used for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
What to drink: Daiquiri (Havana Club Añejo Reserva Rum, lime juice, house-made falernum)

JUSTICE SNOW'S, 328 EAST HYMAN AVENUE, ASPEN, COLO., 970-429-8192:
Located inside the historic Wheeler Opera House, this gastropub has only been open a year but has already made a big impression. It has a large selection of both original and familiar concoctions, and there is also a wide variety of whiskey, tequila, and brandy available by the glass.
What to drink: Antarctique (Boca Loca Cachaça, St-Germain, Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth, Ramazzotti Amaro, pineapple juice, quail egg, rhubarb, & black walnut bitters)

KELLY LIKEN, 12 VAIL ROAD, VAIL, COLO., 970-479-0175:
Local and seasonal ingredients are the signature of this elegant restaurant in ritzy Vail. And the joint's bar chefs take after their kitchen counterparts, utilizing an array of house-made tinctures and syrups as well as Colorado-produced spirits.
What to drink: Winter Spicetice (cardamom-infused CapRock Gin, Lillet Blanc, house-made maple masala syrup)

MCGRATH'S IRISH PUB, 709 ROUTE 4, KILLINGTON, VT., 800-325-2540:
Just a quarter-mile from the base of Pico Mountain is the rustic Inn at Long Trail. Its welcoming pub offers authentic Irish hospitality and an impressive 18 Irish whiskies. (It also claims to sell more Guinness than any other establishment in Vermont.) Stop by on a Friday or Saturday night for live Gaelic music.
What to drink: Guinness and a shot of Irish whiskey

THE ROSE, 50 WEST BROADWAY AVENUE, JACKSON, WYO., 307 733 1500:
Judging from the speakeasy-chic décor and menu of punches and other vintage elixirs decorated with Victorian-style pencil sketches, The Rose wouldn't be out of place in Manhattan. Which makes sense, since the beverage program was created by David Kaplan and Alex Day of New York's famed Death & Company. (Kaplan, incidentally, was raised in Jackson Hole and considers it home.)
What to drink: Ten Cent Claude (Four Roses Bourbon, house-made Darjeeling tea syrup, orange, lemon, Angostura Bitters)
 

This story was originally published at One for the Road: Ski Towns. For more stories like this, subscribe to Liquor.com for the best in all things cocktails and spirits.