In Central Oregon, après ski refers to more than winter happy hour deals rebranded with a French preposition and a cool accent. The post-mountain libations, slurped early and fervently, indicate a lifestyle shift that the wisest among us make each winter. During these dark months, outdoor activities are best staged just before the sun comes up. Whether that’s skinning up Leeway at Mt. Bachelor to earn some pre-office turns or strolling the Deschutes River with a puppo ’n’ a cup o’ joe, getting up and at ‘em while the sun is nascent is key.
What follows this crepuscular burst of activity, is, naturally, an earlier imbibing hour before a bedtime that would precede sundown if it was summertime. While there are many great spots to warm up after a day of wintery shenanigans, we’ve highlighted several favorite après ski joints that are a convenient stop on the way home from the mountains.
Entrada Café and Taproom at LOGE
Since those après ski beers are best enjoyed after you’ve beaten traffic on the Cascade Lakes Highway, pitstop at Entrada Café & Taproom at LOGE. Happy Hour features $5 drafts from 2-5 pm, daily. With a rotation of local craft beers on tap, Entrada is a chill spot to kick up those puffy slippers near the gas fireplace. Prepackaged snacks are available, along with baked goods from The Sparrow Bakery on the weekends. Both indoor and outdoor seating is ample, perfect for drying layers of moist ski garb across chairs and benches.
Lifty’s
Opened in 2022 along the now-developed parking lot previously owned by a newspaper, Lifty’s is a recent and welcomed addition to Bend’s après ski options. Just as Pilot Butte was the landmark for the best staging spot for forging the Deschutes River, Lifty’s location is identifiable by the nearby ponderosa-costumed cell phone tower. If you’re famished after tele-turning all morning, treat yourself to Mt. Bachos (super-loaded nachos), garlic cheese curds and/or loaded tot-chos, which are nachos where tater tots, not tortilla chips, are the delivery devices. Additionally warm the gullet with soups, salads and a variety of rice bowls. Burgers and wraps are on deck, as well. A visit last Sunday saw Lifty’s packed to the hilt with families chowing down and taking in a sports-ball game on the numerous screens.
The Podski
Neighboring The Box Factory across NW Colorado Avenue, The Podski, one of Bend’s most-popping food cart pods, is also home to a taproom with two of the most real-deal friendly bartenders in town. While Podski doesn’t have Après Ski deals, the everyday prices — $7 for 20 oz. craft beer pours and $4 for Rainier, PBR and Modelo Especial — get the job done nicely. Podski offers three seating areas. Inside the taproom, regulars sidle up at communal benches to chat while snowboard and ski edits play on wall-mounted flat screens. A quieter option is taking your beverage to the closed, heated tent out back (a good option for those with pups in tow). Also copacetic: clustering around outdoor picnic tables near the wood-burning fire pit while you decide from which food cart (which range from Japanese, Thai, Polish American and Italian offerings) to order. And don’t forget to sort your rubbish in the charmingly dubbed “Trash Island.”
This article appears in the Source January 29, 2026 and Toast! 2026.
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