Best Apres Ski Bars In The Alps // Snow2moro // Online Ski and Snowboard Magazine

Title:	2-4-6-8-WHO DO WE APRES-CIATE?
Author:	Clare Maloney
Date:	25-01-2012

If you´re lucky enough to find yourself knee-deep in powder this month, you can celebrate your good fortune with a Jagerbomb or two in one of The Alps´ infamous apres bars.

Whether you prefer a sophisticated scene with cocktails and conversation in front of a roaring fire or a beer-fuelled blowout, with dancing on tables and pumping Euro-trash tunes - you´ll find somewhere to suit your mood.

We´ve listed a few of our favourite spots and asked family and friends theirs, to bring you the definitive guide to where to party in the snow in 2012. So rack up those skis, strip off a layer or two and watch that Jenga tower of mini-Jager bottles reach heady heights - just hope it topples before you do!

Here´s cheers to a ski-tastic new year.

The Mooserwirt

The Mooserwirt, St Anton

Everything you ever heard about this place is true, including the staggering rumour it sells more beer than any bar in Austria! Ski in around 4pm to find a scene reminiscent of a nightclub in full swing, with drinks flowing and music banging. Oversee the table-dancing action from the high wooden balconies and drink your fill till closing time (8pm) at which point you scramble for your skis and move down the mountain to carry on the party.

La Folie Douce, Val D´Isere

Spectacularly located in the Espace, La Folie Douce lives up to its title - The Dancefloor on The Top of the World´. Boasting a sensational terrace on which to soak up the afternoon sun while you soak up the beer, this is the go-to bar for skiers and boarders who like their music loud and their party scene lively.

La Folie Douce

Dick´s Tea Bar

Dick´s Tea Bar, Val d´Isere

Dicks Tea Bar was originally opened in 1979 by Dick Yates Smith and has evolved over the years into one of the biggest bars/nightclubs in the French Alps, staying open until 4am every day. Get the party started with an infamous Dick´s Iced Tea (a neon-blue, booze-packed Alpine version of a Long Island Iced Tea) or see yourself off with a Ski Boot (a 4-litre vodka-champagne cocktail served in a ceramic ski boot). Don´t say we didn´t warn you!

The Hennustall (chicken hut), Zermatt

This piste-side bar is one of the liveliest apres venues in Zermatt! Set so close to the side of the piste that it would be rude not to, you can ski in for live music and drinking mayhem on the terrace - just watch those loaded Jagerbombs don´t catch up with you before you ski back home.

The Hennustall

Farinet

Farinet, Verbier

Reigning supreme over the main square, the Farinet is the king of apres bars. With its infamous sliding roof that opens to the heavens, there´s nowhere quite like it for atmosphere and live music action. Bands play every single day of the season, attracting hugely cool crowds and making it the place to see and be seen.

Chambre Neuf, Chamonix

Despite sounding very French indeed, this brilliant bar boasts an undeniably Scandinavian feel. Loved by locals and seasonal skiers alike, Chambre Neuf pulls off that magic mix of unique atmosphere and friendly familiarity that keeps the punters coming back year after year. Get there early for a good table.

Chambre Neuf

White Lounge

White Lounge, Mayrhofen

Quite possibly the coolest bar in Mayrhofen, or indeed the whole of The Alps, White Lounge is a six-metre-high igloo that serves up an out-of-the-ordinary apres ski experience. Sit back in a deckchair, have a drink, listen to the soothing sounds of the Wintersun Sessions (the bar´s inhouse CD) and take in the spectacular mountain scenery of the Zillertal. If you´ve had one too many, you can spend the night in an igloo suite.

Chesa Bar, Klosters

The Chesa Bar, a favourite of Princes Charles, William and Harry - is a stylish haunt tucked away in the Chesa Grischuna Hotel, near the Gotschna slopes. Skiers in the know slip into the Chesa for sophisticated cocktails and late-night live music played on the bar´s grand piano.