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For a killer Old Fashioned. ask bartender Raelynn at the Tiger Lounge inside Grace Su's Chine Gorge

By Emil Asinjo

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Raelynn Collie is ready to help you wet your whistle at the Tiger Lounge inside Grace Su’s China Gorge.
When you spend a big chunk of your summers helping people have a good time, it’s hard to resist an opportunity to dive back in.
So it was with Raelynn Collie, who joined the China Gorge earlier this summer (2016) as the bright light and mixological whiz behind the bar of the Tiger Lounge.
A daughter of Roy and Barbara Hillmick, Raelynn worked with them during the summers when they still owned Lost Lake Resort.
She graduated from that role and moved to Palm Springs, where she worked for the last 16 years as a hairdresser, aesthetician and spa director. Business was good.
“It was my first time in Cali,” she says. “I’ve never seen so many people whose skin looked like leather.”
She learned of the opening at the Tiger Lounge while visiting her parents. Cooler air and little higher humidity, plus ready access to the great menu of Chinese dishes may be the combo to keep her home.
“There are so many dimensions to Chinese food,” she says.
She loves the “wonderful ambience” and the quiet, relaxing vibe inside the Tiger Lounge.
“It’s so nice in the lounge,” she says. “It’s just chill.”
She boasts of making a killer Old Fashioned. It’s fun to make your own at home, but more fun in the festive environs of the Tiger Lounge.
Sidle up to the bar, and ask Raelynn to make you one of hers. Watch closely. Sip. Compare notes. Adjust your own recipe if you like. Or not.
All drinks are $1 off during happy hour in the lounge, which runs from 3 to 6 p.m. daily. The China Gorge also offers a happy hour menu.