Whether you are a pro or a beginner, traveling with friends or family, ski resorts in Minnesota have something for you.
Minnesota boasts one of the longest downhill skiing seasons in the country, which makes the area attractive for folks planning winter vacations. Coupled with Minnesota’s rich forests and 10,000 lakes, downhill skiing is a great way to take in the northern wilderness. And after a day on the slopes, there’s nothing better than connecting with friends to share stories. The après-ski scene is discreet but lively for slopeside — from cozy hearths to speakeasies, we’re here to recognize the hills and our top spots!
Check out our favorite spots along the way:
A BRIEF HISTORY
Believe it or not, après-ski has been around long before you and me. Certainly before shotskis and PBR’s.
Here’s a brief history of après-ski:
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Celebratory food and drink after a day of skiing first became a custom in Norway in the late 19th century, a tradition that quickly moved from individual homes to the first-ever ski clubs.
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The tradition made its way from Norway to the French Alps, where small villages like Chamonix began establishing the first ski hotels. The custom was adopted and given the french name “après-ski,” a way to celebrate surviving another day in the cold and rugged Alps.
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The act of après-ski spread to Austria and Switzerland and was given the German name “gemütlichkeit,” which roughly translates to “a good time was had by all.” Fortunately for all of us non-German speakers, the term après-ski assumes gemütlichkeit is being had by all, and we can stick with the easier-to-say and more encompassing term “après-ski.”
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Americans discovered après-ski in the early 20th century, and like all great worldwide traditions, adopted it and brought it back to the United States. The cultural appropriation started with ski clubs in New England.
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Après-ski spread west to the first ski clubs of Donner Pass and Yosemite in California, Mount Rainier in Washington, and eventually to the West’s first destination ski town of Sun Valley, Idaho, in 1936.
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Après-ski culture spread to the old mining towns of the West, places like Breckenridge, Aspen and Alta, Utah. Authentic mining towns of the Wild West were the perfect place to adopt the après-ski culture. This period of après-ski industry growth and nationwide appeal is now considered the Golden Age of Après-ski.
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The '60s and '70s brought sex, drugs, rock-and-roll, Hollywood starlets, callous businessmen, mega-resorts, non-skier lodge bunnies and other opportunists dabbling in the original American après-ski culture.
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Today’s après-ski scene has slowly morphed into a diverse melting pot of ski cultures. And instead of wine and cheese, we’re serving light beers, dark beers, Mexican beers, french fries, veggie burgers and nachos.