Beer Me

Winter in Colorado means two things: soft powder on the slopes and craft suds waiting for you back at the lodge. Those are two pretty great things—and they can actually be made better when the après-ski drink becomes a beer-based cocktail. Here, four ways to elevate your stout, all approved by local brewmasters.

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Cookies ’n’ Cream

Cookies and milk are a classic pairing, but Left Hand Brewing Company’s Milk Stout Nitro makes this sweet treat all the better. Emily Armstrong, spokeswoman for Left Hand, says the cocoa notes of the brewery’s milk stout are perfect for this mix.

1 ½ ounces Fernet Branca
½ ounce Caffè Borghetti espresso liqueur
Milk Stout Nitro
Vanilla–milk stout whipped cream*
1 ounce Monin dark chocolate sauce1 ½ ounces Fernet Branca
½ ounce Caffè Borghetti espresso liqueur
Milk Stout Nitro Vanilla–milk stout whipped cream*
1 ounce Monin dark chocolate sauce

Mix the Fernet Branca and espresso liqueur in a rocks glass, then fill it with Milk Stout Nitro. Top with whipped cream and chocolate syrup—there’s no such thing as too much chocolate, right?

*In a standing mixer, whip 1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and ½ teaspoon Milk Stout Nitro until stiff peaks form

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Black and Tan

Those looking to skip the hard stuff can simply float Oskar Blues Brewery’s seasonal Ten Fidy Imperial Stout on top of the brewery’s Mama’s Little Yella Pils to impress friends with an Instagram-worthy pint of beer that tastes as good as it looks.

6 ounces Mama’s Little Yella Pils
6 ounces Ten Fidy Imperial Stout

Pour the Pilsner into a chilled glass. If it forms a head, wait a minute before carefully topping with the Ten Fidy. Done right, the beers should form layers.

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Black Velvet

Mix Avery Brewing Company’s Out Of Bounds Stout with bubbles to celebrate your gnarly day on the slopes. (Kudos if you tore up the
fresh powder like the skier
on the bottle’s label.)

6 ounces chilled Out Of Bounds Stout
3 ounces chilled sparkling wine

Pour the stout into a chilled Collins glass or champagne flute. Carefully add the sparkling wine and stir. Prepare an eloquent toast and raise your glass.

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The Stout Diplomat

The best diplomats are refined, elegant, and can handle their alcohol with grace. This stout cocktail, which was created by Yanni Kehagiaras of Nopa restaurant in San Francisco, mixes three types of alcohol, so sip it royally. Use a rich brew like Bristol Brewing Company’s Winter Warlock Oatmeal Stout to keep
it smooth.

6 ounces chilled Winter Warlock Oatmeal Stout
1 ounce chilled mild dark rum
½ ounce chilled Pedro Ximénez sherry

Carefully pour stout into a tall, chilled glass; don’t let the head get too thick. Add rum and sherry, then stir. Immediately find a fancy chair by the fire and start sipping.