Après-Ski Drinks to Make at Home

Après at the base of Vail or Beaver Creek is a blast. There’s live music, sunshine on the patio and everybody still clomping around in their ski boots. It’s also crowded, a little pricey and it ends with a long drive home while your feet slowly lose feeling.

Some days the best après happens on your own couch. Dry socks, a fire going, the dog curled up next to you and something warm in a mug. Here are a few of our favorite cozy drinks you can make at home with a quick stop at the shop on your way back from the hill.

The hot toddy is the classic for a reason. Pour a shot of bourbon or rye into a mug, add a spoonful of honey and a good squeeze of lemon, then top it off with hot water and stir until the honey melts. If you want to get a little fancy, drop in a cinnamon stick. Not a whiskey person? Dark rum or brandy works just as well. It’s the drink equivalent of a warm blanket.

If the whole crew is coming back to your place, spiked cider is your best friend. Pour a jug of apple cider into a slow cooker with a couple of cinnamon sticks and some orange slices and let it get nice and warm. Then set out a bottle of spiced rum or bourbon and let everybody add their own. It’s easy for you, it makes the house smell incredible and the kids can have theirs plain.

Mulled wine is another great one for a group. If you’ve ever been to a Christmas market in Europe, you know exactly what we’re talking about. Pour a bottle of fruity, inexpensive red wine into a pot and add sliced oranges, a couple of cinnamon sticks, a few whole cloves and a little honey or sugar. Warm it over low heat for a while, but don’t let it boil or you’ll cook off the good stuff. A splash of brandy at the end gives it a little extra kick. Seriously, your kitchen is going to smell amazing!

For the coffee lovers, nothing beats an Irish coffee. Stir a little brown sugar into a mug of hot, strong coffee along with a shot of Irish whiskey. Then gently pour some lightly whipped cream over the back of a spoon so it floats right on top. Don’t stir it in. The whole magic is sipping the hot coffee through that cool layer of cream. It’s basically dessert and a second wind in one mug.

Hot buttered rum is old school, and we kind of love that about it. Mash some soft butter together with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and a tiny pinch of salt. Put a spoonful of that in a mug, add a shot of dark or spiced rum and top it with hot water. Stir until it’s creamy. You can make a big batch of the butter mix and keep it in the fridge all season, so it’s ready whenever the snow is.

And of course there’s grown-up hot chocolate. Make your favorite cocoa and add a shot of something fun. Peppermint schnapps is the classic, Irish cream makes it extra rich and a coffee liqueur turns it into a mocha. Pile on the whipped cream or marshmallows. You earned it after those last few runs.

A couple of quick tips before you dive into the couch. Warm your mugs with hot water first so your drinks stay hot longer. Keep some water out too, because a big day on the mountain plus altitude plus a warm drink can sneak up on you fast. And if you’re hosting, set everything out like a little drink station so people can help themselves while you finally get out of your gear.

We’ve got the bourbon, rum, wine, whiskey and liqueurs for every drink here. Swing by on your way home from the mountain and stock up. See you out there!