Apres Ski in Austria

Not one, but two, of the finest après ski drinking spots ever seen can be found in St Anton - virtually opposite one another - earning this resort a top spot in any après ski list. Allegedly selling 5000 litres of beer a day, Mooserwirt was named the ‘mother of all après ski bars’ by Playboy, where space around and on top of tables is completely spoken for from 4pm. Equally animated, Krazy Kanguruh opened its doors in 1965 and has helped to define Austrian oompah stomping après ever since. Partying with world class skiers like owner Mario Matt (only the double world champion in Slalom) and his chums, it doesn’t take long to see why this resort has been dubbed “Manton” (it’s said there’s a ratio of 8:1 chaps to chicas...).

The legendary Opening Week Festival kicks off the season in Ischgl with headlining acts like Mariah Carey and Supertramp and crowds of up to 18,000 - but no one would accuse this resort of peaking too soon. After 6pm in the middle of the season, you’ll be carried from bar to bar on a sea of happy, stampy skiers. Start at Niko’s Hexenkuche next to the Silvretta cable car with rounds of Schnapps and Austrian cheer. Move on to the infamous Trofana Alm, a wooden, two-storey barn specialising in Europop and Germanic tunes. And, if you’re still standing, finish up in the Golden Eagle pub or Pacha nightclub (of Ibiza fame). With 40 bars around town to choose from though, this is just one of the inebriating itineraries on offer.

The likes of Fatboy Slim, Dizzie Rascal and Madness have had Mayrhofen rocking in recent years on Snowbombing week. Something like the ski equivalent of Glastonbury, this blends snow sports with live sets and wild nightly bashes. That’s just one of the acts in this resort’s jam-packed schedule - the Altitude Comedy Festival is also thrown here, bringing funny men like Jimmy Carr and John Bishop to the slopes and bars. Not that the pace slows in between the big events, buzzing throughout the season with predominantly beery, pubby vibes. Guinness and Kilkenny draw the Brits to Scotland Yard, while the Bruck n’ Stadl on the slopes has crowds spilling out with live music and local brews. For something seriously… cool… we love White Lounge and Igloo bar, a village of ice and snow where you can bask in the sun on deckchairs whilst drinking in postcard-ready peaks of the Zillertal.

Dubbed the “Ibiza of the slopes”, Solden’s renowned for its crash courses in high alititude drinking – conducted to the resort-wide beat of alpine remixed Europop. While the lifts are still churning, mountain huts like the Kuckuck get the imbibing underway, while others head down early to the Schirmbar, which thrives steadily from 2 to 10. Pints are the beverage of choice on these week-long drink fests, but adventurous shots like Spiegelei, (translating to “fried eggs”) are also on offer if you fancy a change of flavour. From the Schirm it’s a simple matter of making it out the door and into neighbouring Fire and Ice, one of 12 clubs which are known, one and all, to fill up till the wee hours. If you stumble across a hangover, don’t fret - quieter pints are also available in super quaint spots like the Grizzly bar.

If you’d take cocktails, champers and conversation over stomping ski boots and swinging steins any day, this upmarket resort will be right up your street. It may be just over the hill from swinging St. Anton, but lighter, fruitier drinks reign supreme in Lech, and hotels like the Tannbergerhof have been known to carve swakny ice bars out of their porches. With the most Gault Millau toques of any Austrian resort, après here focuses on fine, night-long dining. But if you’re a wine, cigar or jazz buff make sure to put down your plate for one of the sophisticated late nights at Fux Bar. When the need for a boogey strikes, Archiv also has a live band a couple of nights a week.

The scene here has certainly mellowed since the roaring eighties, but that’s not to say Soll’s gone quiet these days. You’ll find a vast choice of watering holes near the base – end the afternoon the right way with a cold one from Hexenalm, which gets heaving as the slopes start to close. The wild nights at the Whisky-Muhle disco undoubtedly hold pride of place here, but it’s also worth trying not to forget you’re in Austria in the Dubliner (where decor’s sourced from pubs in Ireland), and joining hordes of tobogganers and night skiers sliding down to the door of the Moonlight bar. Best of all, Soll’s just one of the 9 gondola-linked villages of the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser Brixental – a veritable a drinking pilgrimage over the hills and far away– just don’t to miss the gondola back...

Music wafts from bar to bar come 4 o'clock in Zell, spelling the start of extremely Austrian afternoons which the tourist office promise will bring “you closer to locals and their lifestyle”. Built in the 1700’s, start your initiation in the Sportstuberl, where bartenders kitted out in lederhosen serve local specialties in a Keller style tavern. We'll leave it to you when it comes to having a go at Stocknagaln, a game which involves hitting a thin nail into a block of wood with an axe, pint in hand… a pretty good summary of off-the-wall Austrian après. As the afternoon progresses, dance on tables at Crazy Daisy, where live bands get the vibe going and the house speciality flows– it may be called yellow snow but, trust us, it’s delicious. As night falls, make your way to Greens and scan the drinks menu for Jagertree, another local speciality that will knock your woollen socks off.

When it’s racing / polo season, Kitz buzzes with street events and late night parties with the pros. But even if you haven’t been invited to cava with the captains, there’s still plenty of craic to be found throughout the season. The Kitzbühel experience isn’t complete without a jaunt to the Londoner, where the most bonkers après-skiers aim to complete Rik’s Revenge Challenge (the ‘3 wise men & a Mexican shot’s where it starts getting rough…). There’s an equally lively Tyrolean vibe over at Stamperl, while Vickys Alm on the Asten run home is the place to wind down by the open fire with a chilled one. It’s the broad après spectrum here that makes this such a drinking destination, and if you feel your celebrations need a dose of sophistication, you’ll also find a string of high-end bars, front-manned by Club Take 5.

Striking the right balance between skiing and après can be quite the challenge in Saal, a resort with over 35 bars. Evi and co at Hinterhag Alm have us all belting out golden oldies from every floor, if we’re not soaking up the rays and views with a Glühwein on one of the terrace deckchairs… It’s worth heading in for 5pm, purely to experience the bizarre but brilliant ‘Dance of Small Hearts’ that’s been a tradition here since 1976. Bobby’s in town always has the sports channel on, drawing a young set and buzzing with a terrific atmosphere during the 6 Nations. There’s a fair mix of eclectic here too, for those who seek it –with spots like Spitzbub (a converted garage) and Zum Turm (a former medieval jail) that are both, as is the general theme, loud and lively.

A little village with a whole lot of après ski, Kirch is Kitzbühel’s laid-back, lively next door neighbour, and a healthy medium on the après scale between rip-roaring Ischgl and family-first Obergurgl. Schneerbar Oberkaser catches the crowd on their ski home with live music and dancing on the tables (and the roof in the case of the accordion player…). This is usually followed by drinks at local legend The London (not to be confused with Kitzbühel’s of a similar name) – which has a bizarre but infectious buzz about it, and music and madness until 1am. Kirch’s pubs pack out till late, with the Vis and Vis pouring pints till 3am but those who prefer a quieter night can always head to Kracherl for rounds of pool, darts and table football to break up rounds of local cider.