Beer for Skiers: Loose Boots Après IPA
Unlatch those buckles and enjoy some Loose Boots from Jackson’s Roadhouse Brewing.
No matter if you have spent your day carving trenches in the corduroy or stomping backcountry booters, there is little else in this world so satisfying as loosening your boots at the end of a ski day. The feeling returning to your feet as each buckle is released is nothing short of sheer bliss. Toes, long clamped under intense pressure breathe anew, and shins tingle from the sudden release of stress. Each hallmark “click” of a buckle snapping open brings new relief.
With both boots cracked and euphoria settling in, well, then it’s time to crack a cold one to celebrate the day, and what beer more fitting than the Loose Boots Après IPA from Roadhouse Brewing Co.
Hailing from the skier-mecca of Jackson Hole, the Loose Boots IPA is brewed in collaboration with Roadhouses’ neighbor, Stio Apparel. The two craft companies worked to produce a beer that was light, flavorful, and paired perfectly with the kicked-back nature of après. A tall order perhaps, but it’s safe to say the Loose Boots Après IPA nailed it.
Popping open a can is met with a sweet citrus smell, followed pungent pine and rounded out by a crispy malt. For an IPA, it’s remarkably easy to drink, coming across almost as a Red Ale instead of the typical heavily hopped beverage most American craft brewers are known for. Yet IPA lovers shouldn’t fret, the distinctive hop notes are still present in a refined manor, making it an approachable après beverage that doesn’t cop out on taste.
The self-proclaimed session beer comes drinks smooth to the bottom and goes faster than you think. Thankfully, the Loose Boots only weighs in at 5% ABV, so reaching for a second while you finish recounting the day feels about right.
Roadhouse Brewing Co.’s Loose Boots Après IPA
Hops: Simcoe and Citra
Color: Light Gold
Aroma: Blood Orange, Pine, Malt
IBU: 45
ABV: 5.0%
Availability: Winter
Pairs Well With: Tired legs, loaded nachos, slopeside live music