How do you après?

Dancing on the bar with your ski boots still on? Throwing back shots with the crazy Aussies who just rolled into town? Losing yourself in the melancholy strumming of a singer/songwriter as you nurse your $3.50 pint? Snarfing as many buffalo wings as is humanly possible since, after all, this is dinner?

Clearly there are many ways—and bars—to cap off a bomber day on the mountain, especially at Breckenridge, where there are almost as many watering holes as there are T-shirt shops. Most of these adult drinking establishments work hard to carve out an identity, and then they lure you in with drink and food specials in that sweet spot between “last chair” and “hot tub.”

Here’s where to go, depending on what type of après-er you are:

The More The Merrier

You are: Always up for a good time. If a group of four is fun, fourteen is even better! As a result you gravitate toward popular spots, carve out a table—or three—for you and your posse, and are quickly on a first-name basis with the bartender and every server in the joint.
You drink: practically anything. If it’s on special, you’ll take two.
Your Breckenridge Après: Slide out of your bindings and into the T-Bar at the base of Peak 8, steps from the BreckConnect gondola and Ski Hill Grill. Spring sun draws the crowds to the deck, or belly up to the bar inside—if you can squeeze through the crowds. Or head to the Gold Pan Saloon in town. Warning: once you waltz through those swinging doors, it might be hours until you waltz on out.

Hipster

You are: Carefully coiffed, even after a full day on the mountain. You’ve changed into your skinny jeans and ankle boots (women) and your skinny jeans, lumberjack shirt and fedora (men).
You drink: Cocktails with crafted ice cubes, micro-distillery spirits, and Stella (PBR is so passé).
Your Breckenridge Après: Savor an Edelflower Fizz (St. Germains Edelflower, Breckenridge vodka, cranberry, and club soda) from The Warming Hut  or a Sierra Naranja from the Breckenridge Distillery. Upscale, yet understated, these bars aim to push the mixology envelope in a way you’ll definitely appreciate.

Higher Ed

You are: Still using Mom and Dad’s credit card (when you can) and skipping class when the snow report says more than four inches.
You drink: Whatever costs the least amount of money (though you would never smuggle a flask of your own hooch into a bar and simply order a soft drink, right?).
Your Breckenridge Après: With $1 tacos, bottomless nachos (get there before 5 p.m.), endless chips and salsa, and deep discounts on drinks, Mi Casa is your place, your home away from home.

Sports buff

You are: Constantly checking scores on your smart phone—even in a blizzard when the tracks are filling in. You’ve been known to ride wearing the jersey of your favorite sports hero.
You drink: Whatever brand caught your loyalty early on. Could be Coors. Could be Budweiser. Could even be a microbrew like Fat Tire or Odell’s. What matters is it’s your drink.
Your Breckenridge Après: Happy hour starts at 2 p.m. at Ullr’s, Breck’s oldest and most beloved sports bar, and includes free pool and $3 shots.

— Rachel Walker