The Best Ski Town Distilleries in North America

Après-ski, the time-honored tradition of grabbing a drink to warm up after the last run of the day, can be more fun with a distillery tour or tasting. Outside of après, more and more groups are looking for upgraded excursions off the slopes. And with a boom in craft distilling over the past two decades, there have never been so many distilleries popping up all over the country.

Many of these distilleries and their tasting rooms are set in pristine outdoor locations, and several also take advantage of the surrounding nature, using locally-sourced grain, snow melt or aquifer water, and endemic botanicals to celebrate local mountain life and the great outdoors. Pair a dram with soaring views and chic slope-side fashion, and aprés-ski in a mountain tasting room is more fun than a happy hour anywhere else. Below, our 10 favorite ski town distilleries in North America.

Woody Creek Distillers (Aspen, CO)

Colorado has a high density of distilleries located close to touristy ski towns. Woody Creek Distillery, just outside of Aspen, is the perfect spot for a great après without the typical crowds. Started in 2012 by three friends — Mary and Patrick Scanlan and Mark Kleckner — they make locally-inspired gin, rye whiskey, bourbon and vodka. Grain and produce for the spirits are sourced from the larger Colorado area and nearby farms in the Woody Creek region, and the potatoes that make up the base for the award-winning gin and vodka come from their own farm in Basalt. Interestingly, actor and neighbor William H. Macy is also involved with the brand and has been known to pop into the distillery when he’s in town (the William H. Macy 10-Year Reserve Rye is a favorite). The distillery offers tours and tastings from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. with a full bar, events, happy hours and seasonally-rotating cocktail menus.

Breckenridge Distillery (Breckenridge, CO)

Known as the “world’s highest distillery,” this four-time winner of Best American Whiskey at the World Whisky Awards is a must-see (they also pioneered an “Après anywhere” campaign). Founded in 2008, their blended bourbons are clearly a huge draw, but don’t sleep on the selection of rum, gin, vodka, tequila and even aquavit. The restaurant and distillery boast a full cocktail menu and seasonal, local dishes, with tours and tastings from Wednesday through Sunday. If Breckenridge is a regular stop, join their Whiskey Club, which offers access to a members-only lounge with cozy seating and table service pours from your own personal locker. The onsite store offers a huge selection of bottles, from non-alcoholic options to the Mountain Shot, a maitake-infused spirit.

Jackson Hole Still Works (Jackson Hole, WY)

Jackson Hole Still Works is a true grain-to-glass distiller located in downtown Jackson. They source grains from local and regional farms throughout Wyoming and then mill and mash in-house using local mountain water. Fermenting, distilling, aging and bottling all take place under their roof. Known particularly for their vodka, the label art changes yearly and features a local artist’s work as part of a fundraiser for the Art Association of Jackson Hole. Both their vodka and gin are made as sustainably as possible, from using their own recycled water sourced from cisterns to donating the 30,000 pounds of grain waste accrued per month to a local farm to be used as animal feed. The water recycling process alone saves up to 2,000,000 gallons of fresh water per year. Distillery tours can be booked ahead, and don’t miss the to-go window where you can order a Wyoming classic, the “Sloshie,” a semi-frozen vodka cocktail.

High West (Park City, UT)

The High West Saloon is special for two reasons. One, it’s in the heart of Park City, just off of Main Street in Old Town. Two, it was the original location of High West Distillery and the first and only ski-in, ski-out distillery in the world. Founded in 2006 from modest beginnings, this site offers a small saloon with a historic livery stable and a 250-gallon still set in the garage, all located at the end of the ski run (aptly named “Quittin’ Time”). These days, High West is an internationally-recognized brand. So while the saloon is great for a bit of après with a full cocktail list, food menu and tasting setup, High West has since outgrown the original space for distilling purposes. But guests can head to Wanship, Utah, for a full distillery tour, which runs every hour from Wednesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Shelter Distilling (Mammoth Lakes, CA)

End the ski day and begin the après at Shelter Distilling at the base of Mammoth Mountain. Shelter, started by three friends (Matt Hammer, Karl Anderson and Jason Senior) in 2017, initially began as a coffee and beer collaboration. Hammer, a former professional snowboarder, had turned to roasting coffee after retirement, but what followed soon morphed into a full-on distillery operation with a selection of whiskey, bourbon, California agave spirits, gin, vodka, liqueurs and locally-flavored canned cocktails. The spirits use local ingredients wherever possible, including pure snow melt water and local berry and heirloom blue corn sourced from Colorado. Even the California agave spirits have a uniquely Shelter twist, made with both Blue Weber agave sourced from Mexico and agave Yolo and Americana from California’s own Rancho Del Sol. The resulting flavor marries the techniques of making smoky mezcal with the smoothness of a classic tequila.

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Crater Lake Spirits (Bend, OR)

Oregon is just as well-known for its craft wine, beer and spirits scene as it is for epic snowbound resorts in the Pacific Northwest. Bend, in particular, is centrally-located between some of the most well-known ski resorts that operate year-round. Crater Lake Spirits started in 1996 and expanded in 2010 to a 24-acre plot in the town of Tumalo, just a few miles outside of Bend, so they could practice sustainability efforts and regenerative farming more efficiently. The tasting room features plenty of their outstanding vodka, gin and whiskey, including a collaboration with Deschutes Brewery called the Black Butte. More reserve and estate whiskey offerings come as limited-release bottles, which makes a a visit to the gift shop alone worth the trip.

WhistlePig Pavilion (Stowe, VT) and Whistlepig Parlour (Quechee, VT)

WhistlePig is a Vermont rye whiskey distillery through and through. With two options available to enjoy the world’s most awarded rye whiskey, these tasting room experiences couldn’t be more different. The Pavilion is located in Spruce Peak near Stowe Mountain, while the Parlour is tucked into the second floor of famed glassblower Simon Pearce’s shop in the quaint town of Quechee. The Pavilion reopened in November for the winter season with a menu full of whiskey cocktails, gooey raclette and barbecue cooked on Traeger grills on the outdoor patio. Meanwhile, the chic Parlour offers tastings of hard-to-find releases, served in handmade glassware, along with a limited menu of locally-sourced charcuterie.

Killington Distillery (Killington, VT)

Minutes from Killington Ski Resort, this Vermont distillery is known for its craft spirits and leans into its strengths by making a well-loved maple cask bourbon, featuring telltale notes of the state’s famous syrup. The seasonally-rotating cocktail menu features drinks made with their local bourbon, gin, vodka, rum and even an agave spirit. Personally, I suggest tasting one of their unique bottlings from the 4241 blended whiskey series, the Woodland or Summer gins, and the Snowshoe white rum. Or just snag a Mountain Water, their version of a Ranch Water, to go. Food is just as farm-to-table as the distillery, with produce sourced directly from local farms that pairs perfectly with the cocktails.

Tamworth Distilling & Mercantile (Tamworth, NH)

A visit to any ski destination in New Hampshire isn’t complete without a stop at Tamworth Distilling. Steven Grasse, the locavore innovator, takes particular inspiration from the 19th-century transcendentalist movement for his bottles and has translated that ethos into every part of the distilling process. As a farm-to-bottle distiller, he focuses on procuring grains grown within 150 miles and then mills them in-house, including corn, rye and more. The water he uses is from one of the purest sources on the East Coast, the Ossippee Stratified Aquifer, which lies on unfrackable granite bedrock. But the most interesting thing is the spirits themselves. The Graverobber Unholy Rye uses “graveside-grown” maple syrup to play up the charred oak. Siege of Wolves rum is inspired by an actual wolf attack in 1830, when 600 local men took up arms against a pack of wolves and opened a barrel of rum afterwards to celebrate. This year’s release is a true original — called the House of Tamworth Spruce & Goose, it’s infused with locally-sourced spruce tips and…goose.

Stranahan’s Whiskey Lodge (Aspen, CO)

Any whiskey drinker visiting Colorado might as well start at the beginning. Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey, established in 2004 by Jess Graber with initial help from Woody Creek distilling legend George Stranahan, was the first legal distillery in the state after Prohibition. Their first bottles came from the Denver distillery in 2006 using Colorado-sourced malted barley, yeast and Rocky Mountain water to make American Single Malt (ASM) whiskey. To this day, they are the most awarded ASM producer and considered a pioneer in the category. As a homecoming, the brand debuted Stranahan’s Whiskey Lodge last February, located in downtown Aspen and perfect for any whiskey lover’s après dreams. The cozy wooden saloon offers flights, drams, cocktails and various hearty bites with seasonal options available. Grab a pour of the Aspen exclusive Calvados cask, the distillery exclusive maple cask or the much sought-after Snowflake releases.