The Best Après Eats at Spruce Peak
THESE SHAREABLE PLATTERS ARE SCRUMPTIOUS, SATISFYING, AND TOTALLY INSTAGRAMMABLE.
Whether your idea of a perfect winter day is skiing or riding the slopes, skating around the Rink, scoping out boutiques, or relaxing at the Spa, everyone can agree on one thing: The après scene is a blast. What better way to wind down than swapping stories with people you love over hot drinks and yummy apps?
Spruce Peak’s restaurants deliver après at its finest, from carefully selected local ingredients to thoughtful decor to exquisite preparations by top chefs. Alpine Hall specializes in family-style Vermont farm-to-table fare, bedecked with soaring ceilings and views. Tipsy Trout brings forward a playful menu fusing sea and land. And the WhistlePig Pavilion, with its massive stone fireplace and cheerful hustle and bustle, beckons to anyone craving traditional open-fire cooking.
“As a slopeside community, we curate our menus for the après ski crowd,” says executive chef Sean Blomgren. “Each restaurant offers delicious appetizers that are designed to be shared.” Feast your eyes—and your tastebuds—on his personal favorite apres-ski bites, plus cocktails to pair with them.
Alpine Hall
The Full Board
Three selections of artisanal Vermont cheese from producers like Jasper Hill Farm and Sage Farm, small-batch charcuterie from Vermont Salumi, Blake Hill Preserves Spruce Peak Wild Blueberry Jam, house-made chicken liver mousse, and assorted accouterments
"The full board is perfect for groups to gather over as they share adventures from the day.”
Sugar on Snow
"Maple is such a quintessential Vermont ingredient, and the lemon provides a refreshing flavor balance.”
2 oz Smuggler’s Notch Vodka
3/4 oz Maple Syrup
1/4 oz Lemon
Shake and double strain into a coupe. Garnish with a rosemary sprig wrapped in lemon rind.
Tipsy Trout
Blueberry Smuggle
Grilled Artichoke & Spinach Dip
Served with celery, pecorino, and naan bread
"An upscale twist on a classic, this dish uses fresh artichokes instead of canned and can be enhanced by adding in lump crab and lobster.”
“This cocktail is fruity, fresh, and an easy drinking treat to pair with any après ski bite.
2 oz Smuggler’s Notch Vodka
3/4 oz Metcalfe’s Blueberry Liqueur
1/2 oz Pomegranate Liqueur
3/4 oz Lime
Shake and double strain into a coupe. Garnish with a blueberry-lime skewer.
Whistlepig Pavilion
Raclette Nachos
Truffle potato chips topped with raclette and Cabot cheddar cheese sauce, bacon, smoked pork shoulder (optional), caramelized onion, roasted tomato, and arugula
"A layered beast of a dish that brings new flavors with every bite, this communal plate is over the top in the best way. Fit for a family or a very hungry couple, it’s a crowd favorite that’s always picked clean.”
Hot Buttered Pig
“The whiskey and baking spices in the melted butter deliver a warming presence in this WhistlePig Pavilion best seller.”
1 1/2 oz WhistlePig PiggyBack Rye
2 oz Spiced Butter Wheel
8 oz Hot Apple Cider
Add butter wheel and whiskey to mug, and top with cider. Garnish with an apple slice with cinnamon.