THE WAKKER WEEKLY – Issue #1799
BUSHWAKKER SEASONAL SUDS STATUS. Bushwakker head brewer, Michael Gaetz, reports there are a limited number of bottles of BLACKBERRY MEAD (almost all gone) and MORK’S MEAD available in our offsale as part of our Summer Doubly Bubbly Mead Release. Our seasonally available PONCE DE LEON BLACKBERRY RASPBERRY ALE, KAI’S MUNICH HELLES, ENIGMA PALE ALE and CYCLONE BARLEYWINE are currently available. There are also batches of TANGERINE DRAGON FRUIT ALE, RASPBERRY SOUR, BOMBAY IPA, SUMMER WHEAT and GOSE TO THE FINISH Queen City Marathon 25th Anniversary Ale currently working their way through the brewery.
July 21 – 26: BUSHWAKKER ITALIAN WEEK. In an effort to give you yet another reason to visit YOUR Bushwakker during the “Dastardly Dewdney Dig,” our kitchen will be offering a selection of Italian-themed sandwich and hot specials all next week. Fans of Italian cuisine won’t want to miss this. Don’t forget our new Free Parking Lot right across Cornwall Street is now open. Mamma Mia!
The two most popular items appearing on our new SUMMER SMOKIN’ SEASONAL MENU is the Smoked Beef Brisket Sandwich and The Big Papa! Chef Mike has been putting our 60 year-old English beer aging tank which we have converted into a big 800-litre smoker through quite a workout this summer! The Pork Belly Bites appetizer and Pulled Pork Sandwich are solid smoky savoury sensations too! Check out more details on our new Smoked Menu at https://bushwakker.com/full-
2025 HOP CIRCUIT! We picked up a second run of 2025 commemorative HOP CIRCUIT glasses last week and we are hearing the supply is running low which is surprizing given the fact that an even larger number of glasses than normal was ordered this year! So don’t delay and jump on the popular Hop Circuit today! Grab your free map and take a hike or your bike and visit all six participating Regina craft breweries. “Defy the Dewdney Dig” and take advantage of our two bike racks! Collect a stamp on your map at all six locations and receive your free 2025 Hop Circuit commemorative glass!
For the first time ever, our original Mork’s Mead is available in our offsale as part of our annual Summer Mead Release. Celebrate this monumental occasion and get your very own “Return of Mork” t-shirt! Celebrate three decades of famous Bushwakker Mead by embracing the hilarious cross-eyed Siamese cat after whom the very first Bushwakker mead was named. Stop by to get yours or order one from us online at https://bushwakker.com/product/bushwakker-30th-anniversary-mead-t-shirt/
Yahoo! We had a “Sea of Green” at YOUR Bushwakker before last Friday’s home Rider game! Supervisor Cher was pumped to have a full pub during the Dewdney Avenue Revitalization Project! Chef Mike’s kicked up Stampeders Burger & a Pint weekend special was indeed a hit. Can’t wait to see how the Edmonton Elks will inspire his next gourmet burger adventure on July 25th!
Our SMOKED WEEKEND SPECIAL DINING FEATURES for July 18th & 19th are a SMOKED STEAK SANDWICH topped with bacon jam, smoked gouda, arugula and chipotle mayo on house-made focaccia as well as SMOKED BABY BACK RIBS served with smoked pork belly baked beans and mac & cheese with house-made cornbread. Our Saturday CLASSIC STEAK & A PINT SPECIAL as well as our Monday and Wednesday WINGS & A PINT SPECIAL and Tuesday PIZZA & A PINT SPECIAL are also great value deals.
JULY PREMIUM WINE FEATURES: This month’s wine features hail from Australia! The Red is JACOB’S CREEK GRENACHE/SHIRAZ and the White is ROSEMOUNT ESTATE TRAMINER RIESLING. Both are $8.95 for a glass and $23.95 for a half litre.
UPCOMING EVENTS
SUMMER “DOUBLY-BUBBLY” MEAD RELEASE WEEKEND. We understand Regina is not a popular winter tourism destination, so when summer rolls around we traditionally make a limited amount of our famous BLACKBERRY MEAD bottles available for our Queen City visitors. For the first time ever this summer we will have our original MORK’S MEAD bottles available too! Mead bottles are in limited quantities so don’t delay in visiting us today! Mead on ice is twice as nice!
July 21: Monday Night Jazz & Blues. THE RON SCOTT RIO. Veteran musicians deliver great improvisational and Latin-influenced jazz and adult contemporary tunes. 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
July 22: SUMMER SINGER/SONGWRITER CONCERT SERIES PRESENTED BY SASKMUSIC. This fourth Tuesday edition will be one of the most diverse and eclectic editions of the SaskMusic Sweet Summer Singer/Songwriter Series! Get ready for four talented acts performing together on one amazing night. This free show starts at 7:00 PM but you better arrive early in order to get a good seat! The night kicks off early at 7:00 PM.
July 23: Wednesday Folk Night. THIS STORY. Popular pop/rock/folk act formerly known as thisstoryhasalastname is back! 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
July 25: RIDERS HOST THE EDMONTON ELKS. Another 7:00 PM Friday night football showdown in the Queen City! Our Green & White plays host to the Green & Yellow. Be sure park in the massive free parking lot nearby and then take the free 8th Avenue shuttle to and from the game. Enjoy our Chef Mike’s kicked-up ELKS BURGER & A PINT special and come “devour” the competition!
Your guide to Summer Beers
When the temperature goes up, the spotlight is on beers that are chill and easygoing
Imagine a hot, humid summer day. The sun’s up, clouds are nowhere to be seen, and you’ve been working outside or putting your feet up in the backyard. There are plenty of ways you could cool off — but wouldn’t a frosty, refreshing beer taste good in the shade?
When the weather is sizzling, beer lovers tend to lean in to lighter, crisper-tasting styles. Some of these favourites offer a thirst-quenching bite from hops. Others beat the heat with a squeeze of tangy citrus. But no matter what they bring to the bottle, can or glass, summer brews are all refreshingly cool, laid-back and food-friendly.
Getting thirsty? We’ve lined up a selection of hot-weather beer styles that hit the mark and play well with your go-to summer eats.
Light lagers, including helles
You probably don’t need to be convinced that a light-bodied, refreshingly crisp beer is just the thing to beat the heat. Crowd-pleasing, food-loving and always ready for low-key relaxing, light lagers go really well with casual hot-weather dishes, like hot dogs and grilled chicken wings.
It’s kind of ironic that Josef Groll released the first batch of pilsner into the world in November 1842, considering what a great summer beer it is. Golden and light-bodied, pilsner is a type of lager that features a crisp and noticeably bitter finish: the perfect formula for quenching your thirst. Pilsners are the best with rich foods made with lots of oil — fried chicken, anyone? They’re also amazing with sausages topped with a dab of homemade spicy German mustard. (What’s the secret ingredient in the sauce? Beer, of course.)
Radlers are lagers with tangy citrus juice added to them — and they’re a no-brainer for hot days and summery meals. They’re delicious with any food that calls for a spritz of lemon, grapefruit or lime, and they make for a super juicy beer-can chicken. Dress them up with a citrus twist or wedge for extra fresh flavour.
A dose of bitter hops makes these sunset-coloured brews just as refreshing as pale lagers. But thanks to some malt sweetness, they complement the caramelization (in other words, grill marks) on food that’s fresh off the ’cue. Consider making one of these delicious bronze lagers your go-to burger beer.
Blonde, golden and cream ales, including kolsch
These palest among pale ales offer up a little malty sweetness, so they harmonize with grilled proteins that aren’t too heavy, like chicken breasts and pork chops. Some give you a whiff of lemon or grapefruit, thanks to the hops that go into the brew. And, yes, grilled fish or shrimp is a great idea with these, too.
Pale wheat beers, including hefeweizen
For a sweeter, sudsier take on refreshment, try a wheat beer. You might want to add a twist of lemon to up the tang quotient, and who are we to argue? Light wheat beers are so good with salads, especially those topped with a bit of goat cheese or halloumi. They can even go into a yummy vinaigrette. (Trust us, make extra.)
Belgian-style wheat beers, a.k.a. witbiers or white beers
Another easygoing member of the wheat beer family, Belgian-style witbier (or white beer) gives you a hint of citrus and spice. These brews typically have coriander seeds and orange peel in the recipe, so they’re outstanding with fruity desserts — or at least an orange slice garnish.
TIME OUT
A man walks into a pub with a rat on his shoulder.
He takes a seat at the bar and orders a pint from the bartender.
The bartender says “Uh, mate, you can’t have that rat in here.”
Man replies “Ah don’t worry. You see, he’s a special rat, he could out drink any man in this pub. Give me a pint and I’ll show you.”
The bartender is sceptical, but he brings the rat a pint. The man takes the rat off of his shoulder and dunks him into the pint. The rat swims around the glass and in seconds, the beer is gone.
This attracts the attention of the other patrons, and before long, everyone in the pub is buying drinks for the rat. He gets more pints and drains them all. One man buys him multiple shots, and the rat dips his head in each and downs them all.
After several rounds, the bartender says “alright, let’s really put this rat to the test.”
He gathers several bottles, and leads the patron upstairs to his bathroom, before filling the bathtub with spirits. The man plops the rat down in the bath, and the rat happily drains it, before keeling over, dead.
The man begins to weep. “My sweet friend, I can’t believe he’s gone.”
The bartender places a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. “He was a truly unique creature. May we honour him by hanging his tail above the bar?” The man accepts this request, and the bartender cuts off the rat’s tail, then takes it and hangs it above the bar.
Meanwhile, the rat floats on up to the pearly gates and is met by Mouse St. Peter, who invites him into Mouse Heaven.
“Hang on,” says the rat, “I can’t go to mouse heaven, I’m supposed to go to rat heaven.”
Mouse St. Peter chuckles, looking the rat up and down, “why would you go to rat heaven? You’re clearly a mouse. If you were a rat, you’d have a great stinking tail.”
“You don’t understand,” says the rat, “some bloke on earth took my tail when I died. Look, if you could just send me back for a moment, I can get my tail back and prove to you I should be in rat heaven.”
Mouse St. Peter thinks for a moment, then snaps his fingers, and suddenly the rat, now a ghost, is back in the bathtub. He scuttles back down to the bar, where he finds the bartender closing up.
“You there, bartender!” says the rat, “I need my tail back so I can get into rat heaven!”
The bartender, startled by the presence of a rat he thought to be deceased, stares at the rat in disbelief. “Y-you’re supposed to be dead!”
“I know,” says the rat, “and if you can just get me my tail, I’ll be on my way.”
The bartender looks to the rat, then to the tail behind the bar.
“I’m sorry my furry friend, I’d love to help, but I’m afraid I can’t serve spirits after hours.”
The summer heat is here! Whether you’re a hot dog or a cool kitty (yes, our Mork’s Mead is named after of late founder’s cross-eyed Siamese cat) we’ve got the Bushwakker brew for you. Fruit beer, Lemonade Shandy and our amazingly crisp Kai’s Munich Helles are popular thirst busters but have you sipped Mork’s Mead in the summer? At 10.5% our mead is twice as nice on ice!
