My Visit to the Cascades Lounge

Earlier this afternoon, I made my way down to the Cascades Lounge in the lobby of the Pan Pacific Vancouver.

It’s been a while since I’ve stopped by the Lounge for a visit, so I thought I’d catch up with Kristy, one of the bartenders working the day shift.

As I sat down at the bar, I began chatting with bartender Kristy Haywood, who entertained me as she was busy cutting dozens of lemons and limes in precision fashion. I asked her what the scene was like around the bar as it’s been a while since my last visit:

With summer now under way, we’re now in our busiest season. With the friendly weather we’ve been getting, more customers are coming down to take in the view and sit outside on our new patio. As you can see, we have a few cruise ships in the pier as well, which is always a favourite with our guests. I really hope the weather lasts!

For those who’ve never come come down to the bar, is there any night you recommend they visit?

As you can imagine, Friday and Saturday are our busiest nights so you can never go wrong on the weekends. On Saturday night, we have a live piano player who comes in once the Saturday Night Italian Opera Buffet wraps up. Even on weekdays (during the summer) we have live music and entertainment beginning at 6pm each night.

Do you guys have any drink specials on right now?

Yes, during the summer we have a daily feature sheet with a mix of cocktails and martinis – also for a limited time we have a new Alizé menu which includes 4 different cocktails mixed with Red and Blue Alizé – they are being featured for $9 each.

As Kristy and I continued to chat, I learned that the Cascades Lounge is one of the oldest hotel bars in the city. The bar has been open since 1986, when the hotel was first established.

The head bartender as well, Franky Clements, has also been behind the helm since 1986 and is a local favourite in the area. Frank is known for his wacky drink concoctions and even has a drink named after him, Frank’s Lemonade. This grown-up lemonade includes Smirnoff Citrus Twist Vodka, Luxardo Limoncello, bar lime cordial, lemons, blended with ice.

Before I left, Kristy insisted on offering me her favourite drink, the Pacific Breeze Martini. This included Smirnoff Vodka, pineapple, cranberry juice, peach schnapps and fresh cranberries.

This martini was refreshing and had the taste of real fruit, a great drink for the summer. Yes I know….my job can really be stressful sometimes!

Before I left, I asked Kristy why should someone come in to the Cascades Lounge?

Come in for the best view in the city and obviously come in for me, the great service! We have tons of cool drinks to try and always keep our lunch and dinner menus fresh. You won’t be disappointed!