Despite everything, there will be a smattering of bookings over the coming season in most resorts. Some folks will find the wherewithal to travel and enjoy a week or two in the snow. It’s been very tough for the travel industry so I guess we have to be very grateful for small mercies. All that aside here’s where it gets good. And something I’m very much looking forward too. A spot of apres-ski! After a beautiful day on the mountain, many, me included, feel the need to celebrate our efforts by letting our hair down usually aided by a cheeky beer or three. A beer or three? Ha, who am I kidding , it’s usually much more than that. And anyway, it would be rude not to. Hence the popularity of apres-ski. Zermatt has many lively apres-ski bars. Here are 4 of the best, Bring it on!, I’ve missed it.

Henna Stall

While skiing down the lower section of the Furi-Zermatt slope you’ll probably hear the pumping house beats or the Hennu Stall house band giving it some. Like wasps round a jam jar, you’ll next see the happy throng bobbing up and down on the terrace. This is party central and one of Zermatt’s liveliest and some would say craziest apres-ski bars. Dancing on the tables is par for the course and many a ski suit has been cast skyward as some over enthusiastic crazy has decided to strip down to his Calvin Kleins and beyond. Fancy dress is often seen here, with anything from Captain Chaos to Buzz Lightyear throwing shapes on the dance floor. You don’t have to join in, of course, you can just watch from a distance and enjoy the shenanigans, albeit wearing a face splitting grin. The fun is infectious, aided of course by the consumption of a beer, gluwein or a cheeky Jägermeister.

A novelty here is an old ski made into a drinks tray, usually lined up with Jägermeister shots. Jägermeister’s ingredients include 56 herbs, fruits, roots, and spices, including citrus peel, licorice, anise, poppy seeds, saffron, ginger, juniper berries and ginseng. These ingredients are ground, then steeped in water and alcohol for 2–3 days. Afterwards, this mixture is filtered and stored in oak barrels for about a year. When a year has passed, the liqueur is filtered again, then mixed with sugar, caramel, alcohol and water. It is filtered one last time and then bottled. Contrary to an urban legend, Jägermeister doesn’t contain deer or elk blood but it is bottled rocket fuel and at 35% proof you’ll soon be flying after you’ve necked a couple of these bad boys.

Hennu Stall can be reached easily on foot from Zermatt in 30 minutes, or you can take the Klein bubble up to Furi and then ski or walk down. It is virtually impossible to spend a skiing holiday in Zermatt without getting to know about Hennu Stall and it’s legendary status.

Paperla Pub

If you’ve not had enough and you want to carry on the party in town your next stop should be the Paperla Pub. Open 365 days a year, you know the place is popular by the amount of ski’s propped up outside the bar.

Live music, DJs, a cosmopolitan crowd and a crew that encourages a great atmosphere and a spontaneous party mood are all the ingredients you want for an apres-ski party. In winter, après-ski starts daily around 4 pm. Those who like hot drinks can celebrate with Jägertee and mulled wine on the terrace. Or settle into the warm interior of the Irish pub style bar and catch the vibe. Stu and Ronnie are the bars resident fire starters. They never seem to get tired of whipping the crowd into a frenzy with jolly japes and drinking games. They can often be seen cavorting atop the bar egging each other on to even more outrageous dares. It’s a lot of fun and as cabaret goes, it’s certainly original. Stu and Ronnie have become good friends of mine and they never stop with the fun, even on their rare nights off they are party starters. They are a couple of naturals and the Paperla Pub owes it’s legendary status to their never ending good humour.

Cervo

By Dan Frith