Ah, the Alps. Magnificent to behold in person. Beautiful snow capped mountains, cozy forested valley towns, great outdoor activities from hiking to skiing and outstanding eats and drinks with postcard views. Confirming that I am, in fact, as pampered as you imagined, I once drank a beer on Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps, on a trip through Chamonix, France. At the top of Aiguille du Midi (a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif), Le 3842 is one of the highest restaurants in Europe.
Well, about 30 minutes away from Chamonix is another picturesque little town called Sallanches, France, and there an American craft brewer is adding an exciting new attraction for mountain lovers. Outer Range Brewing, Colorado’s Award-winning craft brewery, has taken its craft beer and mountain lifestyle concept to the heart of the French Alps with a second location in Sallanches. What a second locale. It’s something the brewery has been working on for a while — as we reported about it back in 2022. From the press release!
“We envisioned our next brewing frontier as a catalyst for our growth, a place that would transform us into an international mountain brewery,” said Lee Cleghorn, the visionary Co-Founder and head brewer of Outer Range Brewing. “Guided by our mantra, ‘Leave the Life Below,’ we sought a location that embodied our values on a grand scale, and what better stage than the birthplace of après ski itself — the French Alps. Melding European and American brewing expertise, we strive to create the very best beer imaginable. Let the cross-continental adventure begin!”
Outer Range French Alps is now open to the public at 531 Rue de Capitaine Bulle, Sallanches. The location will be celebrating its grand opening on April 20. Alongside great beer, Outer Range’s Sallanches brewery will also serve Nashville hot chicken and fresh roasted coffee, while offering amazing views of Mont Blanc.
If you’re unfamiliar, the original Outer Range Brewing location is a microbrewery in the small mountain town of Frisco, Colo., started by husband-and-wife partners Lee and Emily Cleghorn. Cofounder and Head Brewer Lee Cleghorn’s love of craft beer began when he lived in Belgium as a teenager, where the first beers he ever drank were world-class Belgian ales. That background has served as inspiration for the brewery’s IPAs, which showcase the ester profile of these traditionally hop-forward brewskis.
Embodying the same spirit as its original Frisco location, Sallanches is surrounded by iconic mountains and communities deeply rooted in outdoor recreation. Situated at the base of Mont Blanc in Sallanches, France, Outer Range French Alps serves as a mountain brewery catering to the local community and nearby resorts such as Chamonix, Megève and Saint-Gervais-les-Bains.
In the pursuit of brewing excellence, Outer Range invested in identical brew systems for both the United States and French locations. The tap list at Outer Range French Alps features a selection of familiar flagship brews and an exciting new lineup inspired by the techniques of European brewers. Spanning 20,000 sq ft, the French Alps location offers an inviting space with 200 indoor seats and floor-to-ceiling views of Mont Blanc, offering food from Chicken Scratch, a dedicated Nashville hot chicken restaurant, plus Conflict Coffee, a new coffee roasting endeavor by the group sourcing coffee from conflict regions and eventually reinvesting back into those places. Learn more right over here.
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