Apres-Ski / Nightlife

Mountain resorts and brew pubs seem to go hand in hand. Summit County has five, three in the tri-town area: Backcountry Brewery on the corner of Summit and Main in Frisco, Pug Ryan's and The Dillon Dam Brewery, both mentioned in Dining. (The others are in Breckenridge and Keystone.) The current trend is to end a day on the mountain with a freshly drawn Colorado specialty brewski. All places also serve food and have lively happy hours.

Pick up a Summit Daily News—the locals' rag—to find apres-ski specials and entertainment around the county. One you won't want to miss is the saloon at the Blue Spruce Inn in Frisco. The 1860s back bar is the centerpiece of a warm gathering place with half-priced appetizers and daily $2 drafts from 4-7.

The leading sports bar in Frisco is High Mountain Billiards, an upscale game room with pool tables, dart boards, shuffleboard, chess, checkers, backgammon and sports TV. This richly decorated bar in Dillon attracts a mostly over-30 clientele and is open till 2 a.m.

Old Dillon Inn in Silverthorne has live country & western music on weekends and the best margaritas in town. Its 120-year-old bar definitely has authentic Old West atmosphere. The building was pieced together from bits of defunct establishments and the whole collection was moved in 1961 when the old town of Dillon disappeared under the lake. Also in this area is Murphy's (501 Blue River Parkway) for Irish specialties and The Mint, Summit County's oldest bar at 347 Blue River Parkway.

Another popular choice is the Pub Down Under, underneath the Arapahoe Cafe in Dillon. The Cala Inn in Summit Cove (between Dillon and Keystone) is a new Scottish/Irish bar with great drink specials and delicious food, including a Guinness Steak Pie.