Winter may not technically start until Dec. 21, but it's already begun – and all year long – at the new one-of-a-kind après ski bar Experts Only, found at 782 N. Jefferson St. near Cathedral Square.

The brand-new bar concept – found in the former Dogg Haus and Taco Bar MKE spot – gives you a piste of ‘70s and ‘80s party ski culture right in the heart of Downtown. 

 

 

 

 

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“It was not the hoighty toighty that everyone sees now – it was ski bums, snow bunnies, debauchery and degenerates," Eitel explained. “Now, you go to Aspen, no one who lives there can afford to live there and everyone is paying $250 a day to ski. This is a tribute to the days that built up the party scene.” 

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Before Experts Only opened its doors, the concept was only meant to be a rotating pop-up. However, owner Mike Eitel felt the snow must go on year-round. 

“I was researching some other totally different thing, and I kept coming across old ski photos from ski trips with my kids," Eitel recalled. “It must have been in my subconscious; last year my daughter was studying in London in the fall and all these après ski-themed bars were banging. There’s no snow culture; they don’t ski there or see snow. They were just jammin’ in the rainy fall.”

With a bar space that incorporates an inviting cozy cabin atmosphere with a decorated bartop, large communal tables, a pool table, a game area and a lounge area with s’mores kits that transforms into a stage for live entertainment on Thursdays, there's something for everyone at Experts Only. That being said, seasoned shredders, rippers, ski bums and even bunny hill bombers will find lots of fun ski culture and Easter eggs around the bar.

“A green circle for an easy run, a blue square for an intermediate run and a black diamond for a difficult run and a double black diamond is for experts only,” Eitel explained. “So, people will notice a lot of the iconic imagery from ski mountains. The double diamond: expert bartenders and customers who know how to behave.”

For those hungry for more than just dreams of powder, Experts Only serves up a weekday menu full of mouthwatering comfort food – ranging from mac and cheese, to ribs, sliders, wings and more. Guests can also slide into delicious hearty mountain-esque dishes during the bar's all-day brunch on Mondays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. starting in mid-December, fondue Fridays and more specials to come. 

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To wash down those mountains of grub, Experts Only’s drink menu features its house cocktail – a pre-made nitro-infused Kettle One espresso martini made with Nomad Cold Brew

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– along with a Winter Aperol Spritz, a hickory-smoked Mijenta Old Fashioned that reimagines the classic old fashioned with tequila, a Spiced Captain Mule, the Smokey Mountain Sangria and other thirst-quenching options. 

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If you’re really feeling adventurous and feeling the skiing atmosphere, lift your spirits by lifting Experts Only's shotski, featuring one part Bailey's chocolate liqueur, one party Rumple Minze peppermint schnapps and one part Mr. Black cold brew liqueur. 

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While Experts Only may emphasize its cocktails, Eitel still keeps plenty of Brew City culture alive with a beer menu that features local craft brews along with options from breweries from ski-centric cities across the nation.

“We are not able to have tap beer here because we’re in a parking structure – we can’t go into the floor (to run the tap beer lines),” Eitel explained. "We have ski-town canned beer; we hand-picked breweries from ski-towns. We are going to keep things fresh and a lot of them are limited release.” 

For more updates from Experts Only, check out their Facebook, Instagram, and website – and stay tuned, as the bar plans to bring its ski-trip atmosphere on the road to actual ski hills in the future.

“We want to support the local hills and try to keep them in business – they have an even harder time since they’re so seasonal and with climate change and all," Eitel said. “We are going to start organizing trips to Little Switzerland, Mount Bohemia, Alpine Valley and Sunburst.”