Where to Eat, Drink, and Defrost After Okemo
Skiing Okemo is like being in a three-act play:
Act I: You wake up in a cozy Vermont house, step outside into the frost, and feel like you’re starring in a Patagonia ad.
Act II: You spend hours carving down trails with names like “Chief” and “World Cup,” occasionally pretending you’re in the Olympics.
Act III: The lifts close, your quads are screaming, and now it’s time for the most important part of the day: après-ski.
Ludlow isn’t Aspen. Thank God. There’s no velvet rope or cocktail priced like a small mortgage payment. Instead, you’ve got a scene that’s warm, chatty, and very much “you just stepped into someone’s living room, but with better beer.”
For the Classic Pub Crowd
Killarney’s Irish Pub — Walk in and you’re immediately met with that Guinness-on-draft smell, live music drifting from the corner, and someone in a ski sweater telling a story you’re not sure is true. The shepherd’s pie is the move here, and the bartenders remember faces.
Off the Rails Brewing — Big tables for groups, a rotating lineup of Vermont beers, and food that somehow hits that post-ski hunger spot without feeling like an oil slick. It’s loud in the best way. Kids are welcome, which is a rare après-ski miracle.
For People Who Think About Dinner at 10 a.m.
The Cookster — Think: wood tables, great lighting for your “I skied today” Instagram post, and a menu that makes you wonder why you ever tolerated bad ski lodge food. Perfect for takeout back at the house when you’ve already changed into sweatpants.
Stemwinder — You literally can’t get closer to the mountain. It’s at the base, so you can go from boot to bar stool in under four minutes. Elevated plates, a deep wine list, and the kind of après crowd that might invite you to ski with them tomorrow.
For a Little More Polish
The Loft Tavern — This is where you go if you want the wine poured just right and a cocktail that takes more than three ingredients. Order the steak, split a bottle, and pretend you’re here for the week, even if it’s just the weekend.
A Few Ludlow Après-Ski Rules
Always try the local beer. Vermont doesn’t mess around in this department.
Wear what you wore skiing — no one’s here to judge your beanie hair.
Book a table if it’s Saturday night in January. Trust me.
If you hear live music spilling onto the street, follow it.
And here’s the thing about après in Ludlow: it’s not just where you drink, it’s where you end up talking to the couple who skied the same trail as you or swapping weather intel with the bartender. And when you’re done? You get to head back to a warm, fire-lit house just a few minutes away — the kind of place where the hot chocolate tastes better simply because you earned it.
See the house here — and maybe start planning your Act I.