As if you needed an excuse to have a good beer.
As long as you are reaching for a beer though, why not go for one with a ski-theme in its name to keep the slopeside meme going? Head down to your local liquor store or woman up to the bar at your favorite pub and ask for one of these beers as you relive your favorite runs of the day.
1. Out of Bounds Stout, Avery Brewing
If rope-ducking and trying to avoid the ski patrol is your thing at the slopes, or you like to hunt down virgin powder in the backcountry, try an Out-of-Bounds Stout. It's a hearty, dark stout beer, with hints of chocolate to it. To quote Terry Pratchett, "It will put a chest on your chest." This tasty brew is 5.1 percent alcohol by volume, and the label has a skier frolicking in deep powder.
2. Avalanche, Breckenridge Brewery
Hopefully you haven't spent the day setting off avalanches or escaping from them while skiing in the backcountry. If you're at Breck already, take a pull on an Avalanche while scarfing their Mountain Nachos.
It's a darker amber ale, with a 5.41 percent alcohol by volume. A good drinking beer in both winter and summer.
3. 2° Below, New Belgium Brewery
They are probably best know for their Fat Tire, one of the more popular amber ale microbrews in Colorado, but 2° Below started as a one-off beer for the Al Johnson Uphill Downhill telemark ski race in Crested Butte. The beer is a seasonal brew, so you'll only get it in winter. For a winter ale, it's surprisingly hoppy. The label hints at cold winter nights in the mountains. It's also got a high 6.6 percent alcohol by volume content, so you can definitely get a nice hearty glow on with a few bottles.
4. Never Summer Ale , Boulder Brewery
The name could refer to the Never Summer Mountains near Rocky Mountain National Park, but given the snowboarder on the label, it's probably just wishful thinking for skiers and snowboarders who feel the warming that happens in the high country is anathema. It could also reflect those truly dedicated skiers and snowboarders who ski permanent snowfields in the high country in the summer. Regardless, the label is apt, as it's a winter seasonal from Boulder Brewery with a 5.94 percent alcohol and a dark ruby color, suitable for packing on lots of calories to keep warm during the cold winter months.
5. Telemark I.P.A., Backcountry Brewery
If the traffic on I-70 is giving you a migraine, get off in Frisco and hit the Backcountry Brewery. They have a whole host of ski-themed beers. The Telemark I.P.A. is a hoppy English-style ale that won a gold medal at the 2000 Great American Beer Festival, and it has a 5.6 percent alcohol.