New England
 By Heather Burke
Ah, the martini. Perhaps
the most elegant of après ski beverages. Far more sophisticated than
beer anyway.
When you think of a ski bunny in furry boots lounging by a crackling fire in the lodge, she’s sipping from a tall tantalizing martini glass. What quenches James Bond’s thirst after his adrenaline chase down the snowy Alps (leaving the bad guys in his snow dust, hanging from pine branches or pinned beneath their snowmobiles)? 007 swaggers up to the bar and orders the notorious martini of course, “shaken, not stirred.” What makes the martini the new “it drink” in ski country? Are there special snow-inspired martinis in the mountains of New England? This was my secret agent assignment…to discover the magic behind the mix.  Having
been to the posh, wine-lined Coleman Brook Tavern at
Okemo’s Jackson Gore
Inn, I knew manager Marc Miller could dispel the quotient behind
the powder-lovers’ potion. Miller told me, “Martinis are so popular
for après ski because they have come so far from the standard
martini-of-old with just gin or vodka. Today’s martini has so many
flavorful and creative ingredients, they are elegant, fun, and easy to
drink.”Miller offers 17 unique martinis at the slopeside Inn’s Tavern and fireside Lobby Bar, with witty names like Blue Bear (made with blue Curacao and topped with jelly beans), Pray for Snow and Ride and Shine which are both garnished with a flurry of coconut flakes. Okemo’s giant ‘tinis aren’t for green circle drinkers at $12; these monster martinis are muddled with a wooden stick, and delivered in a pint glass with a strainer for you to pour into your tall chilled glass. Miller says the Coleman Brook martinis are special because all the ingredients are top shelf, and the fruit purées of passion fruit, peach, apple, are all fresh.  Trail name ‘tinis are a righteous reward at ski day’s end. How about a
White Heat Heaven after conquering
Sunday River’s
steeps? The Pouty Snow Bunny is actually the hippest drink to sip of
Sunday River’s signature martinis according to Gary Savage, food and
beverage manager. “Men are embarrassed to order the Pouty Snow Bunny
at first, but once they taste it -they love it,” said Savage. At Legends Bar, Savage and his team continually create clever Absolute martini recipes, which are then shared with sister A.S.C. resorts. “We keep up with sporting events too. Shilling’s Bloody Sox was a popular martini – more of a Bloody Mary in a martini glass rimmed with cayenne pepper,” said Savage, a.k.a.: Mr. Martini. Savage commented that the martini crowd used to be exclusively the well healed, but now martinis have a broadened appeal with such variety of flavors from dry to fruity and sweet. The Red Parka Pub is a tried and true watering hole just above North Conway. The Red Parka has taken a Bombardier’s load of “best après ski” awards in its 34-year history, and it takes the “most humorous martini” category with its version of the classic cocktail. Terry O’Brien, member of the Red Parka Pub family that dates to the pub’s debut in 1972, said, “Everyone has a high-flouting martini list, so we have our PBR Martini for fun. For $3.99, the PBR ‘tini is a chilled martini glass, the rim coated with Old Bay Seasoning and garnished with an olive and a chicken wing, delivered with a champagne bucket holding a good ‘ole Pabst Blue Ribbon 16-ounce beer.” O’Brien said, “The PBR martini is a head turner, it has also become a popular thing to order for another table as joke.” Whatever flavor you crave, from cheap with a chicken wing, to dry and dirty, or the new fangled fusions of fruity vodka capped with candy, the martini is your trailside treat after a black diamond day. You can nurse your ego and your sore muscles, tell tales as tall as the long stem in hand. No one would dare question your claim of “huge air” in the terrain park (which was really teeny), when you are so suavely sipping your martini. |