Sliding off the Little Cloud Lift at Snowbird on what would be the last chair of the day, the group of skiers gazes over the 11,000-foot summit into Mineral Basin, makes a 180-degree turn and plunges into the bowl heading for the base…and the beer. “Last one down buys the first round,” yells one of the crew, but for those that know and love these Wasatch Mountains, the range that bisects hundreds of miles in Utah along the western edge of the Rockies, that privilege is priceless.
Last One Down by Wasatch Beers is an all-mountain beer and “The Official Beer of Ski Utah.” This American Lager was crafted by Park City brewer, Nils Imboden, in alpine surrounds and is intended to conjure the spirit of skiing and other mountain pursuits he grew up with and still regularly enjoys with his friends and family here in The Beehive State. Last One Down is meant to be savored, enjoyed and shared with others.
Similarly, skiing in Utah should also be savored. It’s where your race to the base peters out after the first turn. Light and fluffy powder settles in your wake while gliding down Snowbird’s Regulator Johnson, revealing an azure sky dotted with lazy cumulus puffs settling atop Mount Superior, a massive granite face stained in alpenglow that rises higher and higher as you descend.
Last One Down, sold in 16-ounce cans (and available in a 12-pack case), stands out on the local grocer’s shelf and peeks above the cubes in your ice chest. The distinguished size and puckish label are characteristic of Utah’s oldest and continuously-operated craft brewer’s independent (and slightly irreverent) tradition.
The golden lager is crisp, clean and clear as a bluebird day with a perfect balance of sweet and malty notes, leaving a mellow residual aftertaste. Poured from the can or the tap of your favorite après ski tap, you’ll watch the foamy head of Last One Down swirl around the stein before melting into a lace on the edge of the glass.
Skiing Utah’s mountains – or hiking or biking its trails – seldom involves moving as fast as possible. Making time stand still is more often the goal. The last one down is the blessed soul that slowed the clock, looked around, breathed deep and, on occasion, shouted aloud that they were the luckiest person alive.
Buying your friends the first round, when you eventually arrive, will signal the end of a great day on the mountain. With glasses chiming in unison, Last One Down will ring in rounds of stories about all-mountain skiing with an all-mountain beer for hours and days to come. Cheers!
content sponsored by Wasatch Brewery
