The Winter Olympics are coming, and if you’re not excited then you have no heart. Seriously, check your pulse; You might be dead inside. We’re about to embark a 16-day journey full of underdog wins, heartbreaking back stories, and high-speed chases on snow and ice. It’s easily the most exciting two-plus weeks of winter, and a hell of an excuse to sit on your couch and drink beer. So we’ve found a handful of ski-themed beers to help you get in the Winter Games mood.
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Deschutes Red Chair NWPA
Named after the Red Chair lift, which stretches from the base of Mt. Bachelor Resort to mid-way up the mountain, this Northwest-style pale is embraced by both the ski resort and the nearby, beer-centric town of Bend, OR. Deschutes organizes a Rally Series race on the mountain each year, including a brew bus to ship locals in from the town, and tastings at the base of the lift.
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Aspen Brewing This Season's Blonde
A modern spin on the snow bunny cliché, this classic English-style pale plays with honey and wheat malt flavors and a touch of citric hop flavors to make it dangerously sessionable at a relatively modest 5.6%. Like the skiers who came to the snow-choked town of Aspen to play for the winter and end up staying, this once-seasonal is now brewed year-round.
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Epic Blueski Lager
Epic started out in the state of Utah, whose license plates proclaim that they have the best snow on earth. And when the brewery expanded to Denver, they added another winter-centric hotspot to their arsenal. The Blueski "Colorado Rockies Lager" speaks to Epic's affection for winter sports as well as their new-ish home.
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Avery Out of Bounds Stout
Another Colorado-based brewing outfit, Avery celebrates the expert-only runs scattered throughout the state with the Out of Bounds Stout. Like the snow daredevils who choose to go beyond the established boundaries of a resort via the side-access gates, this beer uses mountains of roasted barley and hops to deliver a little something extra than you'd encounter by sticking to the familiar paths.
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Uinta Yard Sale Winter Lager
The Utah-based brewery takes its name from the state's tallest mountain range, the Uinta Mountains, while the beer speaks to the rite of passage that is skiing the steeps—enduring a crash crazy enough to send your kit—hat, skis, gloves—flying off your body, as if you've laid out your winter apparel in some sort of sloppy yard sale display. At only 4%, you should planning on having more than one, but hopefully not endure another Yard Sale when back on the slopes.