THE WAKKER WEEKLY – Issue #1852
New one-time edition commemorative “FloodWakker” T-shirts just arrived! Stop by and pick up your piece of Bushwakker history! Let’s turn that “city water line break” frown upside down and have a little light hearted fun with the biggest disaster to hit our building since the great fire of 1926!
BUSHWAKKER SEASONAL BEER STATUS Our seasonally available UPENDI PINEAPPLE PASSION FRUIT SOUR, HONEY THISTLE WIT, CHINOOK E.S.B., BARON BOCK and 35th ANNIVERSARY DOUBLE HONEY IRISH RED ALE are currently available. Bottles of our famous BLACKBERRY MEAD are also available in our offsale as part of our 2026 Summer Mead Release.
Our WEEKEND SPECIAL DINING FEATURE for July 24th & 25th is a HOUSE-SMOKED LOADED BEEF DIP! 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. Please note you can also have a pop, lemonade, sarsaparilla, ice tea or coffee instead of a pint of beer if you wish!
Our new Summer Seasonal BBQ Menu was released last month! One of the six sumptuous dishes is a CHICKEN ENCHILADA TRIO. Three flour tortillas stuffed with smoked pulled chicken, smoked gouda and Monterey Jack cheese with a rich enchilada sauce. Baked to perfection and served with salsa roja and charred jalapeno crema. Served with tossed salad, our award-winning fries or a bowl of our soup du jour!
The FloodWakker Saga Last week was the one month anniversary that the Strathdee Building experienced its most damaging event since the building caught fire on November 17, 1926. But this wonderfully restored 112 year old Chicago-style warehouse is not only beautiful, it is also extremely tough. The architects at the time were well aware the previous structure was completely destroyed in the 1912 Regina Cyclone. They ensured their new “crown jewel” of the Regina Warehouse District was designed in such a way that it would be strong enough to survive another F4 tornado or whatever else the unforgiving Canadian prairie weather could throw at it. Nevertheless, the June 17, 2026 city water line break in front of the building caused tremendous damage to the basement and to The Bushwakker Brewpub where water levels quickly rose to knee height within a couple of hours. The damage to our basement freezers, coolers, offices and brewery was extensive. We were shut down for 15 days but with the help of many dedicated tradespeople, we reopened on July 2nd. Our kitchen is fully operational and our brewery is slowly being rebuilt and is coming back online. There is still much work to do and we will continue to repair and improve. Much thanks to the many local businesses and our legion of passionate Bushwakker enthusiasts for your kind words and support. We will get there!
Our summer fruit beers are here and the Hop Circuit is in full swing! Pick up your free passport map and take a hike or ride your bike and visit all six participating Regina craft breweries this summer! Collect a stamp at all six locations and receive a free 2026 Hop Circuit commemorative glass! Get out there and enjoy another beautiful Queen City summer with some sensational Saskatchewan suds!
UPCOMING EVENTS
July 27: Monday Night Jazz & Blues. BROAD STREET BRIDGE. Popular talented group of veteran musicians are back for an encore performance! 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
July 29: Wednesday Folk Night – STEVE BENOIT. Canadiana folk artist from Ontario on a western Canadian tour makes his Bushwakker debut. 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
Aug. 3: CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAY. Happy Saskatchewan Day! Fill up your favourite Sask mug with your favourite Sask beer!
Aug. 5: Wednesday Folk Night. OOOO LA LA STRINGS. Acoustic folk rock duo returns as a trio. 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
Aug. 7: FIRST FIRKIN FOOTBALL FRIDAY! A home Rider game with a 7:00 PM kickoff AND First Firkin Friday on the same day? This is going to be so much fun for Wakkerville! Don’t miss our decades-old Bushwakker monthly tradition. A piper from The Regina Police Services Pipes & Drums leads a keg (the firkin) of special ale throughout the pub in a procession. A guest volunteer tapper is selected to wield the handmade wooden maul affectionately named, The Mighty Firkin Wakker, and attempts to tap the keg in one mighty blow! This month’s “Watermelon lovin’ Rider prider” firkin offering is a MELONHEAD LAGER! The Green & White suds-soaking spectacular takes place at 5:30 PM.
Aug. 7: RIDERS HOST THE OTTAWA REDBLACKS. A First Firkin Friday Rider game day! Kickoff is at 7:00 PM. Be sure park in the huge free parking across the street and then take the free shuttle to and from the game. Enjoy Chef Mike’s kicked-up REDBLACK BURGER & A PINT special before the game! Come “devour” the competition!
Aug. 8: SECOND ANNUAL FOLKWAKKER! A tribute to the now absent Regina Folk Festival Weekend. Enjoy a Free Saturday Afternoon Folk Music Event showcasing three talented Saskatchewan folk acts! Plan to arrive early in order to get a good seat! 1:00 PM.
Getting Over Your Fear of Commitment: Why We Should Be More Loyal to the Beers We Love
By: Ben Keene
Spend any amount of time at a bar, restaurant, or bottle shop in Western Washington and you’re bound to notice it: Bodhizafa IPA, the flagship beer from local powerhouse Georgetown Brewing Company. You could be in the diviest of bars, the newly opened restaurant that only has two beers on tap, or the most out of the way convenience store, and the odds of a Bodhi sighting are still very much in your favour. It’s ubiquitous in a way that can probably only be matched by the likes of Rainier, and in those rare instances where you don’t spot the flaming G tap handle or Bodhi’s signature bright orange can, you’re likely to find Manny’s Pale Ale, Roger’s Pilsner, or another popular beer from Georgetown instead.
Now, when it comes to tap lists do I appreciate variety? Sure. And do I sometimes wish my favourite bars always had a line dedicated to world class Saison or an award-winning Kolsch? Absolutely. But I also appreciate the predictable joy of spotting a time tested friend among the cluster of colourful tap handles. (When it comes to Bodhizafa, that friend just so happens to have a GABF gold medal around its neck.) Plus, if we’re being honest with ourselves, we have all had moments when we’re feeling indecisive, or maybe others when we aren’t really looking for flavour fireworks. Or there are times when we recognize that particular situation isn’t necessarily about the beer, but is nonetheless improved—however modestly—with a tasty ale or lager. What we really want to find in these situations is a dependable, all around satisfying beer. Something we’ve tried, something we trust.
From Endless Choice to Overload
Much of what the recent boom in small and regional breweries—and here I’m thinking about the period from about 2012 to 2018—brought beer drinkers was a surfeit of choice. More breweries, more products, more styles. And that led to a commercial landscape defined by tap turnover and a seemingly endless array of new brands. Lured by tempting hop combinations, boozy liquid desserts, and more, enthusiastic fans tried hundreds, or in some cases thousands of unfamiliar beers, rating them before casting them aside as they continued their epicurean journey. For many, it was exciting, and the thrill of discovery was real. Here and there a Julius or a Prairie Bomb! would stand out, and people would praise it in romantic terms, but for years it was one first date after another for a large swath of the beer drinking public.
Beer festivals, lengthy tap lists, and sampler flights pushed us to constantly look for something new, sometimes seeming to emphasize the quantity of beers on offer over the quality of beers represented. But eventually there came a tipping point. Even as the United States approached the high water mark of 10,000 active brewery licenses, demographics were beginning to change, and then a global pandemic altered beer buying habits, pushing all but the most ardent enthusiasts back toward flagships and year-round offerings. Variety didn’t disappear completely, of course, and plenty of brewing companies continue to trade in newness and imagination.
A Return to Reliable Favourites
However, as we approach the midpoint of 2026, I can’t be the only person who’s burning out on the novelty and neverending rotation. Anymore, I’m looking for a long term relationship with the beers that I buy. After years of flirting with beers that have catchy names or enticing descriptions, I’ve stopped worrying about the chase and apply my energy to appreciating the excellent beers I already know. Similarly, I also identify with a slow but noticeable shift back to some of our long-standing drinking traditions: sessionable beers, comfortable and welcoming environments, and shared experiences. Instead of the myopia of check-ins or the tunnel vision of tasting flights, I’m happy to see more people visiting breweries for a sense of community and a few rounds of their favourite beer among friends and neighbours.
A few months ago I was on my way to a social gathering and wanted to pick up some beer to share. We were going to be hanging out for a few hours, so I wasn’t looking for anything high strength, and I wasn’t especially in the mood for a given style. In somewhat of a rush after ferrying my kid’s home from preschool and daycare, I hurried to the beer aisle of my local grocery store and proceeded to wander its length, letting my eyes drift up and down row after row of six packs, variety packs, and cases. When nothing jumped out at me on my first pass, I turned around and retraced my steps. Then, somewhere in the middle of the aisle, I spotted a beer I hadn’t had in ages: Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale. I grabbed a 6-pack without a second thought. And you know what? I had no trouble convincing my friends to drink something that’s been in production for nearly 40 years.
Stop Chasing, Start Enjoying
These days, I’m glad to walk into a bar with a dozen well curated taps; I don’t need to stare at a list of 50 different beers to feel like I have options. And while it’s nice to see menus updated with darker, maltier, or barrel-aged beers in the cooler months, and bright, crisp, or fruit-forward styles during the warmer part of the year, I’m much less interested in a draft lineup that’s constantly in flux than I used to be. If I return to that same bar six weeks from now and they’re still pouring something like Tank 7 from Boulevard, I’m not going to be unhappy about it. Permanent taps are a controversial subject in the brewing industry, but if the neighbourhood pub that’s walking distance from my house in Seattle wants to keep Bodhi on tap, they’ll hear no complaints from my end of the bar.
So here’s your challenge to consider before you order your next pint or buy another limited release four pack: Stop chasing hype and rarity. What was the drink that got you into flavourful beer? Revisit an old personal favourite or seek out a classic whether it’s Allagash White, Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald, Odell 90 Shilling, or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. And then when you’re finished, order another. Remind yourself of the joy of consuming a freshly poured draft beer, or even a freshly canned beer. When I’m out shopping I routinely check packaging dates and I must say that here in Washington it’s quite reassuring to routinely, I might even say typically, find Bodhizafa sitting on a grocery shelf less than two weeks after a canning run. I would hope the same is true of a beer like Allagash White in New England.
Don’t be afraid of commitment. Let go of your FOMO. Learn to savour subtlety. Choosing a beer you’ve known for years, or a beer that you haven’t had in ages can deepen your appreciation for that beer, its style, or the brewery that made it. Give in to the enjoyable, and likely educational, journey it will certainly take you on each time you go for another sip. Pair it with different dishes and types of cuisine, making note of how the flavours amplify or diminish your satisfaction. Allow yourself to concentrate on a conversation with other beer drinkers instead of an app on your phone or the dizzying list of options on the menu.
I, for one, know I can depend on running into Bodhizafa again very soon. I look forward to it in fact. And whether I’m out to dinner with my family, picking up beer to bring to a party, or simply sitting down for a quick pint at the end of the day, I know I’m going to be delighted by that first swallop of smooth-drinking, pine-scented, citrus-accented IPA. So much so that I’ll probably crack another can or order another round of the same. Here’s to loyalty, and plenty more Bodhi in the years to come.
TIME OUT – The Monkey’s Lesson
A guy walks into a bar with his pet monkey. He orders a drink and while he is drinking, the monkey starts jumping all over the place. The monkey grabs some olives off the bar and eats them, then grabs some sliced limes and eats them, then jumps up on the pool table, grabs the cue ball, sticks it in his mouth and swallows it whole.
The bartender screams at the guy, ‟Did you see what your monkey just did?” The guy says, ‟No, what?” ‟He just ate the cue ball off my pool table – whole!” says the bartender. ‟Yeah, that does not surprise me,” replies the patron. ‟He eats everything in sight, the little twerp. I‘ll pay for the cue ball and stuff.” He finishes his drink, pays his bill, and leaves. Two weeks later he is in the bar again, and he has his monkey with him. He orders a drink and the monkey starts running around the bar again.
While the man is drinking, the monkey finds a maraschino cherry on the bar. He grabs it, sticks it up his butt, pulls it out, and eats it. The bartender is disgusted. ‟Did you see what your monkey did now?” ‟Now what?” asks the patron. ‟Well, he stuck a maraschino cherry up his butt, then pulled it out and ate it!” says the barkeeper.
‟Yeah, that doesn‘t surprise me,” replies the patron. ‟He still eats everything in sight, but ever since he ate that damn cue ball he measures everything first!”
Smart monkey! One serious lesson is all it takes!
