The Cure for a Perfect Summer
We're finally getting the warm weather in Vancouver that residents have been waiting for. It's long overdue but we can finally declare it patio season!
To that end, searching for a patio isn't a difficult task. I do live in Vancouver, after all. When the sun shines, you'll find most Vancouverites outdoors - and that includes where we eat and drink. Most patios are packed during the summer, and it doesn't matter if it's adjacent to the water or smack in the middle of the city.
But what I wanted to find, however, was the PERFECT patio. One that I had to specifically trek to and is located amidst a stunning backdrop.
Enter Nita Lake Lodge's Cure Lounge.
After undergoing an extensive renovation, the Cure Lounge is now open and nestled inside the gorgeous Nita Lake Lodge - one of the top resort hotels in the world as ranked by Condé Nast Traveler. Located in the Creekside neighbourhood of Whistler, it's perfectly far enough away from the noisy parties of Whistler Village but close enough to the lifts - Creekside has its own Gondola to take you up the mountain if skiing's your thing.
Nita Lake Lodge has a special place in my heart. When my boyfriend first visited me in Vancouver from Paris, I took him on his first trip to Whistler and we stayed at Nita Lake Lodge. I still remember the snow falling softly on the lake while we snuggled in front of the fireplace. That memory is still as fresh in my mind like it was yesterday. Since then, we've been wanting to return and this time we got a chance to do that, plus share the beauty of the place with another couple!
Vivian Low (of Wisteria Voyage) - one of the first bloggers I met when I initially started out - agreed to join us, along with her husband, William, to help celebrate the Relaunch of the Cure Lounge and to bask in the glow of Nita Lake Lodge. As you can tell by the photos, the renovation was amazing - it's now a comfortable, modern space punctuated by some rustic elements. Large doors on the side open wide to the heated patio where you can soak up the stunning backdrop of Nita Lake. The water is like glass on most days and you can't help but be captivated by its beauty.
At the launch party, we were able to sample quite a number of items from their new menu and sip on signature cocktails crafted by Rhiannon Csordas, the bar manager at Cure Lounge. She's a powerhouse behind the bar and is incredibly passionate about what she does. Check out the video (left) of her mixing up one of her most complex drinks during our Cocktail Class the next morning at the Lounge bar. She also made one of my favourite cocktails at Cure Lounge, her own creation called Hemingway's Daughter - light, effervescent and frothy. As a bonus, I've included the recipe below.
The food was also fantastic - a favourite of which was the schiracha boneless chicken bites that carries just the right amount of heat and are also gluten free. Their organic beef sliders were grilled to perfection, as were their flatbreads.
Nita Lake Lodge is definitely a magical place where if you wanted to escape for the weekend, it's an easy hour and 30 minute drive from Vancouver. If you wanted more activity it's less than a five minute drive into Whistler Village. The views are stunning and our suite was super spacious and private.
I really cannot wait to return again, perhaps in the summer for a glass of Refresh on the Cure Patio!
BONUS RECIPE
Hemingway's Daughter
Recipe by Rhiannon Csordas, Bar Manager at Cure Lounge, Nita Lake Lodge
1.25oz Peppermint tea infused Wallflower Gin
.25oz Maraschino Liquer
1oz lime juice
1oz grapefruit juice
.5oz simple syrup
2oz Gancia Brut Rose
Poured over grapefruit sorbet in a coupe and topped with edible flowers.
