Apres-Ski / Nightlife

Nearly every restaurant offers Happy Hour with drink specials after the slopes close. Breckenridge's liveliest apres-ski bars are Tiffany's in Beaver Run, the Breckenridge Brewery for a great handcrafted brew, Park Avenue Pub in the Village, and Mi Casa, with thirst-quenching margaritas—or try their sangrias by the liter. Bubba Gump's has a heated outdoor deck with a smashing view of the mountain. Fatty's bar takes up the entire first floor and locals fill it to the brim. The Maggie holds her own among the apres-ski crowd with good drink specials.

Want to go where the locals go? Head to Blue River Bistro for the martini specials or to South Ridge Seafood for brews on tap.

If you're having trouble adjusting to the altitude, head over to the O2 Lounge in La Cima Mall, where you can enjoy an herbal martini and oxygen-enriched air in 10- 20- and 30-minute increments.

While Tiffany's rocks until the wee hours, after dinner most of the action moves into town. At Eric's you'll find a rowdy crowd on TV sports nights. Sherpa and Yeti's on Main Street is the hot spot for live music and dancing, with a variety of bands playing blues, jazz, funk and reggae, plus local musicians' nights, all in an unfinished-sheet-rock atmosphere. This place really rocks, so if you packed your dancin' shoes, head here.

Salt Creek on East Lincoln has live music and a huge upstairs dance floor that brings in the younger crowd. Thursday nights, $2 pitchers and 25-cent wings attract the locals. There's always a long wait line to get into the action. The Dredge, which is a replica of the dredge boats that churned the Blue River for gold in the early 1900s, has a classy bar.

Summit County's 9:1 male-to-female ratio dramatically improves at The Quandary on Monday nights when those with two X chromosomes get free beer.

The old Gold Pan on North Main is the oldest continuously operating bar west of the Mississippi and was one of the wildest places in the Wild West, with a miner or two known to be thrown through the saloon doors. A long, century-old, mahogany bar presides over a now worn, dimly lit room with a pinball machine tucked into the back corner and a couple of well-utilized pool tables.

Cecelia's Bar makes great martinis, and recently expanded to add a dance floor and space for a DJ. Liquid Lounge, near Cecelia's, is a sure bet for great drinks and there's usually a DJ spinning tunes on the weekends. The Crown has cozy couches that are perfect for intimate apres-ski or late-night drinks, desserts or coffee.

Nightlife ends with a visit to Charlie Dog's off Main Street at 111 Ski Hill Rd. When every other restaurant in town is closed, you can still satisfy your late-night cravings with a Chicago Dog or a sub.

If you're wondering what happened to Shamus O'Toole's Roadhouse Saloon, it's been converted to Breckenridge Theatre for Performing Arts where The Backstage Theatre (453-0199) runs a variety of live shows throughout the season.

You'll find other nightlife options throughout Summit County.