There is a version of Après that involves a lodge bar, a $17 IPA poured from a tap that hasn’t been cleaned since opening weekend, and 400 of your closest strangers all vying for the attention of the same bartender. We all know this version, and it definitely has its moments.
Then there’s the version where you don’t stay at the mountain. You head ten minutes away and walk into a brewery that’s equally worth your visit. Same earned-it energy but with dramatically better beer at a fraction of the cost. With that in mind, here are three breweries that have the proximity and the quality to make it count.
Outer Range Brewing Co. — Frisco, CO | Breckenridge, Keystone, Vail
Best craft brewery near Breckenridge ski resort
Outer Range didn’t stumble into the ski town brewery business, it was built inside of it. Founded in Frisco in 2016, Outer Range has been a longtime staple during ski season (and beyond) and the après ritual that follows. It now being the official beer partner of Vail Resorts across Breckenridge, Keystone, Vail, Beaver Creek, and Crested Butte is either a sign of how good the beer is or how smart the founders were. Actually, it’s both.
Recently named Top Small Craft Brewery in the US in 2024, Outer Range built its reputation on hop-forward IPAs and technically precise Belgian beers. These are the styles that are worth the attention you’ll give them when the ski boots are finally off. The “In the Steep” Hazy IPA is currently the number one rated beer in Colorado and should therefore be your first order. After a full day of elevation, the name and the beer lands exactly where you need it to.
The taproom is in Frisco, so it sits close enough to Breckenridge to make math easy. Last run, gondola down, ten minutes on Route 9, cold pint in hand before the lift lines have even cleared out. Seems like a no-brainer to me.
Order first: The aforementioned In the Steep Hazy IPA. Then ask what’s on the seasonal list before you commit to a second round.
Long Trail Brewing Company — Bridgewater Corners, VT | Killington
Best brewery near Killington ski resort Vermont
Inspired by the 273-mile hiking trail that traverses the Green Mountains, Long Trail Brewing Company has been the OG of Vermont craft beer since 1989. They are in no way newbs to the mountain lifestyle branding. Long Trail is a brewery that has been doing this before most of its customers were old enough to ski a black diamond.
Sitting at the junction of Route 4 and 100A in Bridgewater Corners, it is a short fifteen minute ride from Killington Resort. So in Vermont ski terms means you’re practically in the parking lot. Long Trail Brewery’s layout delivers exactly what you want after a full day of taming the Beast. With river views and a covered outdoor deck the transition from ski gear to settled-in mode comes with ease.
The Long Trail Ale is the institution here. It’s the kind of amber that needs no explain. The Double Bag is the better order if you’ve been on the mountain long enough to earn something with a little more character.
The vibe at the brewery is casual, lively, and quintessentially Vermont. In the winter, ski gear is customary whether they say so or not. The Long Trail staff is as locked in as they come. On weekends there’s live music that keeps the afternoon from ending before you’re ready for it to.
The logistics: Killington to Long Trail is a straight shot on Route 4 heading east. You will drive past nothing worth stopping for until you get there. So don’t!
Barley Creek Brewing Company — Tannersville, PA | Camelback
Best brewery near Camelback Mountain Resort Poconos
Understandably, the Poconos don’t get the same reverence as Summit County or the Green Mountains. That’s fine, in some cases the lack of notoriety keeps the lift lines shorter and the seats at Barley Creek available. Established in 1995 in Tannersville, Barley Creek was the first microbrewery in the Pocono Mountains since Prohibition. Talk about a problem solver. Barley Creek has been solving the post-Camelback problem for thirty years while other breweries weren’t even a thought.
Barley Creek, however, goes well beyond just good craft beer. It also operates a small-batch distillery producing vodka, whiskey, rum and other spirits on-site. This may seem like a trivial detail but those spirits come in handy on a grey Pocono day when the mountain was good but the weather was working against you. On warmer days, The Pint-Sized Park biergarten is the place to be.The yard games will make the afternoon disappear when conditions aren’t cooperating. The indoor bars handle all of your other needs.
Proximity to Camelback is key. Barley Creek sits right in the fork between Sullivan Trail and Camelback Road, so the transition from last chair to first beer requires almost no decision-making. That’s the point. The less thinking required between the mountain and the drink, the better the après-ski.
Go for: The in-house drafts first, the distillery side second. If you’re going on a weekend, the Pint-Sized Park fills up. Arrive early or accept that you’re drinking inside, which ultimately works just fine.
The Final Point On Ski Town Breweries
Ten to fifteen minutes is the threshold. Any further and you’re committing to a drive when you should be committed to a barstool. These three breweries fit the mold perfectly. Find the mountain. Do the work. Drive the ten minutes and avoid those $17 beers I mentioned in the beginning.
About the Author
Rich Stoner is the founder of the après-ski lifestyle clothing and media brand, All About Après. He is also the co-host of the Après All Day Podcast. No stranger to the ski and après-ski scene, Rich has been a long time contributor for many publications on topics like skiing, travel, gear, beer and food. However, his passion is on the slopes and enjoying good times with good people. You can find him perfecting his craft carving turns and drinking beers in the Green Mountains of Vermont. @allaboutapres