Since opening in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn in late 2018, Ponyboy has emerged as one of New York’s top nightlife destinations. Now they’re hauling that winning formula straight to the heart of the Rocky Mountains. We’re talking about a little place called Aspen—where the beer apparently flows like wine. And the cocktails are about to get a touch more glamorous now that Ponyboy is embarking on a five-month-long residency inside the W Hotel.
It’s cocktail o’clock as one of Brooklyn’s finest bars brings its A-game to Aspen.
On the menu, beginning in mid-December, you can expect to find popular specialities from the Brooklyn bar and nightclub including the Tiki Mountain, combining passionfruit, curaçao, and maraschino with both bourbon and rye. Then there are upmarket translations on winter classics like the Espresso Martini, made here with Grey Goose and Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur. Egg Nog and Hot Toddies will always be on heavy rotation. All of it served within the Grotto—the property’s newest speakeasy-style den.
But it’s not just the drinks that are emigrating here. Ponyboy co-owner James Dorje is barely leading a pack of staff into the Colorado wilderness. And he promises to pack the bar’s signature vibe along with them, dropping it off right at the foot of Aspen Mountain Ski Resort. To do so, they’ve enlisted the help of some world-class DJs who are slotted to fill the space from December through April. The goal is to turn the nascent nook into one of the town’s premiere aprés-ski destinations.
Which is a tall task in Aspen—already regarded as one of the best places in the nation to let loose after a lengthy day on top-tier terrain. Nevertheless, if any establishment is up to the challenge it’s Ponyboy. Part bar/part nightclub/part dining hall, the secret to its success is an eagerness to defy traditional definition. Even if you insist on regarding it as a cocktail bar—which is fair given that they, for example, shake up matcha-rimmed mezcal cocktails with aquafaba—you’d still have to account for the fact that they do so at about half the price of its fancier counterparts across the city.
Playfulness is the name of the game here. And we’re hoping that some of it rubs off on this chic mountain town which, at times, can err on the side of taking itself too seriously. The W Aspen is a good antidote to those proclivities, which is why the residency here makes sense. But as irreverently hip as that particular hotel brand usually is, luxe rooms still start at around $1000 per night during the winter high season. So, yeah, plan accordingly.
Still for those that enjoy great skiing and even better aprés-skiing, Aspen remains one of the best places on the planet in which to part ways with your hard-earned money. And now that Ponyboy just entered the stable, the case for such is even stronger. For any self-respecting cocktail fans in town, it’s time to instinctively flock here like the salmon of Capistrano.
The pop-up will open daily from 5pm to 2am beginning on December 15th.
MAROON BELLS, CO – 2003: The snow covered peaks of the Maroon Bells, located in the White River … [+]