Liquid Delights at the New Cure Lounge
A gentle breeze flows off a mirror-glass lake framed by snow-capped mountains, bringing with it the smell of the pines warmed by the summer sun. This is what it feels like to be sitting on the patio at the Cure Lounge, found inside Whistler’s only lakeside hotel, Nita Lake Lodge.
What makes this picture even more perfect is the addition of a “Hemingway’s Daughter,” a craft cocktail found in the “Modernist” section of the menu, one of four unique drinks themes for this summer. Aptly dreamt up at three in the morning by bar manager Rhiannon Csordas, this delicate cocktail combines peppermint tea-infused gin, maraschino liquor and Rosé, poured over a housemade grapefruit sorbet, garnished with edible viola tricolour flowers and served in a sophisticated coupe glass. It’s the level of detail that make these cocktails a real experience. The “From the Garden” theme muddles together ingredients from their rooftop garden, the “Blue Hawaiian” from the “Around the World” section is served in a funky ceramic tiki mug, and the “Smoked Sazerac,” part of the “Smoke & Spice on Ice” theme uses actual smoke-infused ice cubes. With so many to choose from, it’s a good job that summer days in the mountains are long.
The cocktail menu isn’t the only thing that’s been revamped. The lounge has been given a fresh, open-concept design by award-winning Vancouver-based duo Scott & Scott. Along with interior designer Carolyn Scholz, they’ve artfully created an urban-rustic concept with bold reds splashed in amongst natural wood tables, a dramatic granite bar top, soft grey chairs, and plush leather sofas. They’ve managed to balance the contemporary with the Canadiana, giving the feeling that you could be in someone’s mountain cabin, albeit that someone could be James Bond. The new look gives the lounge a spacious, playful feel that makes you want to stay, sip, and soak it all in.
Share a charcuterie board with house-made mustard, dip house-cut fries into steamed mussel broth, and satisfy that sweet tooth with a lavender-and-honey-infused cheesecake. Before you know it the sun will be heading behind the mountains. The serving team will bring you a fleece blanket so you can enjoy the last rays of the day before you retire to the roaring fireplace inside —the perfect time for those smoke-infused ice cubes to make an appearance. nitalakelodge.com