The Sweet Sudden

 Cocktail Correspondent: Weldon Gardner Hunter

Sunday, July 14: My brother and I had dinner at Jägerhof, the fine German restaurant in Lolo (71 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver). I ordered a Schnitzel Dolce Brusco. You see, Jägerhof isn't just German, it's also Austrian, Swiss, and South Tyrolean, which is, oddly, the northernmost province of Italy, with a heavy Germanic influence. 

Delicious. The schnitzel comes with a lingonberry wine sauce, which is like a jam you put on the breaded cutlet. I washed it down with a Bitburger Pilsner, but I also connived to try the one cocktail they have on the menu: the Hugo, which comprises Prosecco, Elderflower Syrup, Soda, and Mint. 

Before my drink arrived, a very old gentleman began to play an even older piano at the front of the room: an 1887 Fischer upright piano, or should I say, pianny. The first song was "Sentimental Journey," which I recognized on my own. The second was a song called "Alleycat," which he announced. After that, I couldn't tell you. I'll check Setlist.Fm later. Johnny really rolled out the barrel.

Hugo

The Hugo tastes like a milder Mojito, but the elderflower syrup makes it further floral. Lucky I got the flowers in the photo to illustrate. A light, sweet, zesty sipper. A very refreshing cocktail and a sensible drink order for a warm day, aprés Schnitzel.

After Abendessen, my brother and I walked to Semisch Park, which had us thinking Pauly Shore. A drive of ambition led us to Mahon Park, where we walked beside the very charming Wagg Creek:

A fitting name, because many furry, four-legged friends were walking the trail and wagging their tails with their humans. And my friend just got a puppy, who I am excited to meet and pet.

After the trails and tribulations of Mahon Park, we bussed back to a gelato place in Lolo and enjoyed a Stracciatella. Then we ambled back to the Q to take the Seabus over the Bodensee, which is how I imagined Burrard Inlet, a serene end to our almost Alpine excursion.