Yummm…beer. Cue Homer Simpson all you want, but there are certain jobs in a ski town that lend themselves to scoring free beer more than others. Below are a few that, burp!, bubble to the surface.
Property manager/house cleaner: You’d be surprised how many renters leave beer in the fridge or on the porch, and it’s all yours as part of your cleaning duties. “The exuberance of the initial shopping trip to the liquor store can meet the reality of playing hard in the mountains every day, leaving plenty of leftovers for the property management team,” says Doug Starkey of Four Seasons Steamboat.
Bartender: One for me, one for you. This one goes without saying. Not that you’re polishing off other people’s drinks and spitting out cigarette butts, but at the end of your shift there’s nothing like pouring your own coldie after a long night serving others.
Ski tuner/boot fitter: Yep, know a local tuner and there’s a good chance you can get him or her to wax your skis off the clock in return for a 12-pack of PBR. As such, ski tuners are often drowning in an inexhaustible supply all winter. (Just make sure they don’t start quenching their thirst until after they tune your skis.)
Beer distributor: Yes, beer does expire. And if you’re working at a beer distributor like say, B&K here in town, those have to go somewhere, which might as well be down your gullet. Plus, you can bet there’s always a couple in the fridge behind those other expired goodies.
Babysitter: Yep, that couple you watched kids for is likely to bring you a six-pack on top of your pay rate for taking care of their little urchins while they went gallivanting around town. Plus, you can always raid their fridge (not, of course, while you’re watching their progeny). “I’ve gotten tipped with beer quite a bit actually,” says one suds-receiving sitter. “It’s a nice perk because you’re pretty bushed afterward.”
