The Best Bars in Jasper, Alberta

What started as the Astoria Hotel in 1927 and the Astoria Bar in 1929 transformed into the uniquely named De’d Dog Bar and Grill in 1995, which describes itself as “Jasper’s place to meet and greet the wildlife.” De’d Dog Red Ale (by Wild Rose Brewery) is one of 10 domestic and craft beers you’ll find on tap, along with more in bottles or cans. The food menu has many comforting, hearty options, including vegetarian dishes, along with daily specials, such as wing night on Wednesdays.

Inside the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 31 is the beloved Stand Easy, and you don’t have to be a veteran to enter. Even kids are allowed until 9pm. Shoot pool, throw darts, work your way through the 14 local beers on tap and hang out on the patio in this combined lounge, music venue and restaurant. Closing time is 11pm if nobody’s around, or 2am if there are still customers. Be sure to grab a 50/50 ticket, which raises money for the non-profit Royal Canadian Legion.

For a seriously old-school experience, duck into the Atha-B (the nickname locals use for the Athabasca Hotel) for a beer at O’Shea’s. The historic brick hotel dates to around 1915, and the vintage lounge looks as you’d expect, with mounted deer heads, memorabilia and big-screen TVs. Pool players get sweeping views of the Colin mountain range, while diners can feast on blooming onions and poutine.

When it opened in 2005, Jasper Brewing Co. was the first brewery in a Canadian national park. Now, the brewpub is a community hub and offers cans, bottles and eight beers on tap, including Crisp Pils, a pilsner-style lager that is “approachable, polite and apologetically hoppy,” in a nod to the Canadian persona. Try the elk meatloaf or warm, soft pretzel, and take home an Albeerta Mix Pack with a sampling of 12 beers in four styles.

The DownStream’s drinks menu spans five pages, starting with craft beer from Alberta and beyond, and moving on to cider, spirits and cocktails such as Taste of Alberta Gin. Like Banff, Jasper is a mountain town, but it’s decidedly more relaxed. This modern-casual restaurant-lounge has the right amount of mood lighting and a mix of wood, red seating and brick walls. It’s also the place to drink when you want to accompany it with something a little fancier than pub grub, such as bison short ribs and Canadian mussels.

Even if you don’t stay at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge – which debuted in 1921 and has hosted queens, kings and Marilyn Monroe – be sure to have a drink at the sun-splashed Emerald Lounge, which boasts views of Lac Beauvert and the Whistlers summit and has a summer patio. It offers sparkling wine and champagne alongside reds, rosés and whites, as well as an impressive Scotch list. The tasty Mountain Caesar drink comes with a pickled vegetable and beef jerky garnish.