Après culture, or going for food and drinks after a fun day of outdoor adventures, is a staple part to any mountain vacation. In BC, it’s almost as big of a draw as the mountains themselves.

When you’re renting a FarOut vehicle, don’t forget to mix it up on your trip! We’ve stocked our campers full of cooking equipment, giving you a great chance to cook off the grid and connect with your fellow travelers.

For evenings when you’d like to eat out or have a brew on a patio, we’ve still got you covered. Here are our 10 favourites après spots on the iconic Sea-to-Sky highway.

Vancouver

Vancouver is consistently ranked one of the top 20 foodie cities in the world. We could write several articles about all its restaurants, but in this blog, we’ll give a quick shoutout to a great stop for your first night in the city.

Granville Island Brewing

This is a perfect après spot for your first evening on the Sea-to-Sky. Granville Island Brewing, founded back in 1984, dubbed itself “Canada’s first microbrewery”. It has maintained its great-tasting beer to this day, despite a corporate takeover by Molson Corporation back in 2009.

We recommend getting their ten-beer flight so you can try the whole menu at once. They typically serve 5 of their main rotation beers, and five seasonal specials. You technically can’t order the ten beer flight for one person, as it’s above the legal limit of alcohol you’re allowed to have served to you at one time. So go with a plus one, and they’ll happily put all ten beers in front of of you and your counterpart.

Squamish

Howe Sound Brewing

Canada’s 2022 brewery of the year, Howe Sound, is our favourite! It has an amazing selection of beers and unbeatable views of the Stawamus Chief.

We recommend trying one of their classic beers. The Howe Sound Lager and the Sky Pilot Northwest Pale Ale always hit the spot after a day in the mountains!

Make sure you grab a spot on their sunny patio in the summer to get the best view of the Chief! For winter visitors, they also have a cozy fireplace that’s the perfect place to warm up after a ski day.

Summit Lodge

Located at the top of the Sea to Sky Gondola, Summit Lodge offers the most breathtaking views of any après bar or restaurant we’ve been to in BC.

To get to Summit Lodge, most people will take a day to go up the gondola and hike around Sky Pilot in the surrounding area. If you feel grunting up 800 meters of tough elevation to avoid paying for a gondola ride, that’s the other route to this après-spot (Check out our guide on the hike here).

The food and drinks here are good, but nothing special. A variety of BC wines and local brews are available, but this spot is about soaking up the incredible views of the surrounding mountains and Howe Sound.

Cliffside Cider

We had to mix in a cider spot with all the breweries! Cliffside Cider is one of two craft cideries in the area along with Geo Cider. We’re partial to Cliffside due to its great views of the Chief. It really lives up to its name!

Craft Cider has become popular in BC over the past few years.  Most spots offer a few options outside of traditional apple ciders. We recommend trying one of their flights to get the full experience!

In addition to the drinks, there’s regular live music and an on-site food truck.

Backcountry Brewing

One of Squamish’s hidden gems. Backcountry is off the beaten path, in the shopping district next to some of Squamish’s superstores (Walmart, etc). Don’t let that turn you away!

You’ll immediately forget the part of town you’re in once you set foot inside. The tasting room has 1970s ski cabin vibe. Backcountry’s speciality is their sours, they often have four or five on the menu at a given time.

They’ve also got an in-house chef and an amazing pizza menu. The pizzas are big, so we usually split one between two people and order a side salad. It being plenty of food, even after a big hike.

Whistler

Whistler Brewing

This is the best spot in one of Whistler’s quirky neighbourhoods, Function Junction. This area was the original stopping point between Vancouver and Pemberton, and dates back to the early 1900s. It’s also the original après spot at Whistler – the village didn’t when Whistler Mountain opened in 1966.

It’s popular among locals, and a great place to go if you want a night away from the Village. There’s two awesome breweries in the area, Coast Mountain and Whistler. Both are good, but Whistler makes for a better après spot, due its’ bigger tasting room. Its got a fun selection of beers that are mostly named after local mountains and BC landmarks. The Black Tusk Ale is one of our favourites.

Dusty’s

The home of modern Whistler après-culture, Dusty’s stole Function Junction’s spotlight in the early 80s. When Whistler opened, Creekside Gondola was the only entry point to the mountain. Whistler Village and Gondola hadn’t been built yet – it was actually a dumpster park!

It’s known for its barbecue and Caesers – dubbed “arguably the best Caeser in the world”. It has a wild-west feel, named after a stuffed horse that famously looked over the bar for a decade. There’s regular live music, it can be a great chance to catch a concert!

Longhorn Saloon

If you’ve skied out to Whistler Village, this spot has caught your eye. Longhorn Saloon is always hopping at happy hour, with a live outdoor DJ, fireplaces, and club-like atmosphere.

The options for food and drinks are endless. They range from a local pint (albeit an expensive one at $10.50), to $12,000 bottles of champagne.

Our FarOut team isn’t exactly drawn to Longhorn, we prefer a chill brewery vibe. But if you want to party it up big-time, this is your spot. Reservations recommended! There’s always a line out the door in the afternoon. Longhorn partying typically wraps up around 7 or 8, so go in the afternoon.

Tapley’s Neighbourhood Pub

Tapley’s was the first pub built in Whistler Village, opening in 1981. It hasn’t missed a beat since.

It bills itself as “your friendly neighborhood pub”, which we think fits the description. There’s several TVs showing live sports, dart boards, and a selection of easy-drinking pub fare. Their patio is open year-round, with heat lamps and fire pits for the winter. It’s a bit off the beaten path, so you can often steal a table here on Whistler Blackcomb’s busiest days!

The only thing in Whistler that’s probably more iconic than Tapley’s is its wifi password: “talktoyourfriends”.

Pemberton

Mile One Eating House

For those of you venturing up to Pemberton on the north end of the sea-to-sky, Mile One will be your go-to spot! The restaurant aims to mimic its wild and beautiful surroundings, and focuses on featuring local BC-style food and ingredients in its menu.

Featured on the menu is Fraser Valley pork, venison, local wines, and locally caught tuna, so it lives up to its goal of sourcing food locally!

They’re open for brunch, lunch, and dinner. Snag a daytime spot on the patio, soak up the stunning views of the nearby mountains, and enjoy the local cooking!