Clowns, Naked Ladies and Plenty of Beer

Geoffrey A. Fowler

Lululemon party at Club Bud

VANCOUVER, British Columbia—There were parties galore at the Winter Games, from intimate corporate shindigs to flashy red-carpet affairs. By far the most exclusive one happened on the rink at Canada Hockey Place, where the Canadian women's hockey team celebrated on the ice—with beer and cigars—after their gold-medal win over the U.S. on Thursday.

Over the past two weeks, Wall Street Journal reporters scattered to sample the best—and most Canadian—of parties. One constant: beer. The luckiest parties lured "The Great One," Canadian hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.

WSJ's Jessica Marmor talks with Olympic silver medalists Katherine Reutter and Charlie White, and freestyle skier Scotty Bahrke, at the Club Bud Lululemon party in Vancouver.

Here's how we judged them, on a scale of one maple leaf (a dud) to four (a bash):

Club Bud Lululemon

Overall rank:

This star-studded nightclub boasted a red carpet and bumping dance floor. Countless athletes stopped by, including ice-dancing gold-medal winners Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, plus the rock group Barenaked Ladies. Food: Budweiser and more Budweiser.

Sochi World

Overall rank:

Downstairs had exhibits on the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia. Upstairs, clowns cavorted and guests taste-tested five varieties of vodka. VIPs included Prince Albert of Monaco and—best of all—Mr. Gretzky.

Irish House

Overall rank:

Americans aren't the only ones who reduce Irish culture to beer and bagpipes. No celebrities showed up when we were there—not even an Irish athlete on this particular night, though, to be fair, Ireland has only six competitors here. Molson and Guinness on tap, but not a Canadian—or Irish—delicacy in sight.

Molson Canadian Hockey House

Overall rank:

A Canadian frat party multiplied by 10. Plenty of celebrities showed up, including Mr. Gretzky and hockey stars Grant Fuhr and Lanny McDonald. Comedian Seth Meyers, rock god Bryan Adams and actor Donald Sutherland also were there. No surprises on the buffet: Canadian beer, cheese and wine.

Holland Heineken House

Overall rank:

Part Disneyland, part beer garden, part high-school gym. When speed skating was on, the place filled up with orange-clad mobs hoping for another Dutch medal. The Dutch royal family, Dutch athletes and Dutch artists ate potato-sauerkraut "hotchpotches," which turned out to be mashed potatoes with a hot dog. Tasty anyway.

Alberta Train

Overall rank:

Ritzy passenger cars with glass-roofed upper decks. Most cars were leased to corporations for private schmoozing on this three-hour Vancouver-to-Whistler trip. A bevy of Albertan officials rode the train, feasting on "mountain pass pancakes" made with Aprikat beer.

Omega Party

Overall rank:

A luxury party for a luxury brand that could have been held at an Applebee's. Pretty dull unless you like journalists.

Write to Jessica Marmor at Jessica.Marmor@wsj.com

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