Cuvée All Day: Meet the Ladies Bringing Aprés Ski Glamour to Park City with Cuvée
AFTER THE POWDER IT’S THE AFTER PARTY
Photo: @cuvee_apres
Some skiers love the thrill of first tracks, the rush of the backcountry, and the joys of chest-deep powder. We, however, aren’t exactly those skiers... Our idea of a perfect day on the slopes involves taking a few groomers under a bluebird sky and then hitting up the lodge for some revelry and refreshments. We love skiing for the sport and the fresh mountain air, sure, but if we’re being totally honest we’re also in it for the chic ski clothes and the après party.
Like most things in life, when it comes to après ski the Europeans know how to do in style. But here in the states, our post-ski rituals tend to involve more Bud Light than bubbly. That’s where Jen Francis and Lindsay Genereux come in: The ladies are bringing Euro-style après glamour to the mountains of Park City this winter with Cuvée. We chatted with the duo to learn more about Cuvée, their inspiration for the brand, and the scoop on their festive pop-up champagne bars in partnership with Veuve Clicquot. Read our conversation below, including details about their next event coming up in February. Clink, Clink!
TELL US ABOUT CUVÉE: WHAT IS THE CONCEPT AND INSPIRATION BEHIND THE BRAND AND THE EXPERIENCE?
Cuvée champagne is specially curated by the vintner using the finest grapes to the highest quality champagne. Cuvée was born out of our blend of our experiences, our dreams, and our desire to be the cuvée of the après scene and mountain experience in Park City. Lindsay has always wanted to open a champagne bar that serves the best oysters and fries and felt like a celebratory experience every time you walked through the door. Jen has a vision and talent for creating experiences; she lived in Aspen last winter and fell in love with its vibrant après scene and constant state of celebration. Lindsay visited Jen in Aspen one weekend and fell in love with the scene as well. We came back to Park City and realized there was an opportunity to bring that vibrancy and experience to the local community. Over several evenings of wine, our shared dream of creating an experience, combined with Jen’s experience living in Aspen and Lindsay’s champagne bar idea, grew into our brand, Cuvée.
WHY PARK CITY? WHAT IS YOUR CONNECTION TO THE SKI TOWN?
Lindsay moved to Utah five years ago; she started skiing and spending time in Park City, and instantly fell in love with the mountain-town vibe. Jen has lived in Park City for more than 10 years; she fell in love with the people, the rotating door of tourists, the fun events, and the outdoors. Park City is still one of the best-kept mountain town secrets, and we love that.
WE LOVE THE RETRO EUROPEAN GLAMOUR OF APRÈS SKI—IS THAT SOMETHING YOU’RE HOPING TO BRING TO PARK CITY WITH CUVÉE?
We love it too! A lot of our inspiration has come from the retro European après culture and we definitely want to create that in Park City. You can also get a feel of that vibe through our social media and marketing.
WHAT CAN GUESTS EXPECT AT YOUR EVENTS? WALK US THROUGH THE EXPERIENCE…
Our guests can expect to be greeted with chloroxygen water to acclimate to the altitude followed by a bevy of cocktails, including a couple of our curated champagne drinks such as Le Champagne Cocktail made with bubbly, bourbon, bitters, and a sugar cube. Guests can sway to fresh sounds and relive their perfect powder day over a celebratory libation with other free-spirited guests. It's a private experience to misbehave early with our goal being to ignite the spark and set the tone for a night out on Main Street. We encourage everyone to participate in our inaugural chambong toast cued up by our theme song, which you'll have to experience for yourself!
HOW CAN PEOPLE SCORE AN INVITE TO YOUR EVENTS?
People can sign up through our website: cuveeapres.com. The next Cuvée experience is popping off on Sunday, February 9 at the bar/deck of Riverhorse on Main from 3–7 p.m. Save the date!
Photo: @cuvee_apres