Après-ski along Highway 3
Good things brewing in southern AB, BC
above: après at Kimberley Alpine Resort
Highway 3, AB/BC Après-ski and beer are like a lift ticket and a chairlift: one without the other just doesn’t work.
Skiing or riding your way along Highway 3, connecting Castle Mountain Resort in Alberta’s southwest to Whitewater Mountain Resort in Nelson puts you into some skookum destinations home to an epic collection of microbreweries.
Here’s your invite to ski or ride the 3 while taking in some top après-ski in some of the most character-filled beer stops.
Along the way, you’ll ski and ride some of Canada’s top spots, as featured in this round-up of some of our faves here @Seekers—let's start with the one who just added 15% NEW terrain to their mix!
Castle Mountain Resort stepped further into the big leagues this February, by lighting up their Stagecoach express quad chair.
Oldman River Brewing, Lundbreck, AB
As you’ll uncover in this latest SnowSeekers feature, Castle is on the grow and to celebrate their 60th anniversary, they’ve paired up with Oldman River Brewing in Lundbreck to offer their DeepTracks Lager.
Photo:
Castle Mountain Resort
Grab a Deep Tracks Lager after a day of skiing Castle, and the new Stagecoach Express lift.
You’ll find this signature lager at the mountain's T-Bar Pub or in the Oldman taphouse, founded in 2017.
The Pass Beer Co, Crowsnest Pass, AB
As you head west on the three, you’ll see the signs for The Pass Brew Co. Feast on woodfired-oven pizza, where server Heather Blackburn has a top tip…
“Stay here in Crowsnest Pass, this puts you in the middle, to score turns at both Castle and Fernie (each only 45 mins from here) and save a bunch of money.”
Try their Trees Don’t Move IPA to enhance your Castle Resort or Pass PowderKeg Ski Hill après.
Fernie Brewing Co, Fernie BC
As this story reads, local Kieran Summers asks “what other sport has après-ski included right in it? The only sport is skiing.”
For over 23 years, Fernie Brewing has been serving up après in style, while giving back to the community. Fernie Brewing has put back over $255,000into the community through its “Cheers to Charities” initiative. That's a good chunk of change!
Note the absence of TVs in their taproom and common tables, for a space engineered for maximum social time.
Try a Ridgewalker, a tasty red ale, drinking up the connection to the outdoors and Fernie’s active lifestyle.
Grist & Mash, Kimberley, BC
This latest SnowSeekers feature speaks to Kimberley’s Trifecta—a day ski, a sunset nordic and a night shred.
However after my recent visit to Grist & Mash, a popular craft brewery now five years young in Kimberley, we might have to make it a four-fecta!
Owner Ty Reitman encourages you to “try our old school Belgium style beers, it’s what we are known for.”
Nelson Brewing Co, Nelson, BC
Faceplant is a strong-bodied winter ale, whose name comes from the run on Whitewater Mountain Resort. Big, bold and badass are the words used to describe this beer and the Resort as you’ll learn in this latest SnowSeekers story.
Served on-mountain or in their character-filled Nelson-based tap room, any of Nelson Brew Co’s (NBC) beers will help you click into the easygoing flow that makes this Powder Highway destination hum.
A Highway 3 après-ski road trip
Road trip! This March, hit the road along Highway 3, scoring a few if not all of the ski resorts we mentioned above while knowing après will be served in style.
Settle in for a pint in Alberta’s Southwest Rockies, Fernie, Kimberley and Nelson to savour a sport where après completes its culture.
Sociable! Let us know what you uncover, tag @snowseekers, @thepassbeerco, @oldmanriverbrewingltd, @ferniebrewingco, @gristandmash and @nelsonbrewingcompany in your posts, so we can engage and share your stoke.
