THE WAKKER WEEKLY
Issue #1567 – Posted on: 08-February-2021
BREWERY “HOP”PENINGS! Bushwakker Head brewer, Michael Gaetz, reports our seasonally available Red Currant Ale, Premium Pale Ale, Chinook ESB and 30th Anniversary American Barleywine are currently on tap! There are also 13 other year round brews to choose from making a total of 17 Bushwakker brews currently available.
We will unveil a very special small batch brew as part of our February 5th BEV DAY Celebration at 11:00 AM. Bev was a single malt scotch whisky enthusiast. The Talisker 10 Year from the Isle of Skye was one of his favourites. He really enjoyed the fiery pepper and smoke character. We will infuse this powerful whiskey into Bev’s award-winning Palliser Porter to create an explosive brew combining his two loves. Only one keg will be available on tap. No growler fills. Enjoy while quantities last.
FEBRUARY PREMIUM WINE FEATURES. The red is Beauty in Chaos Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington State. The white is Les Fleurs Du Mal Cotes De Gascogne from France. Both are $7.95 for a glass and $21.95 for a half litre.
This Friday’s Bev Day Special Dining Feature on February 5th is PORTERED BEEF RIBS. Due to limited supply the ribs are not available for takeout on Friday. Our Saturday CLASSIC STEAK & A PINT SPECIAL for $21.95 will be available.
In addition to taking our beer home in glass bottles, 2 litre jugs and growler fills direct from our pub, you can find a varying selection of 650 ml bottles of Bushwakker beer in ALL SIX REGINA SLGA stores.
On Friday, February 5th we celebrate the birthday of the late Bev Robertson. Bev was our co-founder and president. Bev is regarded by many as being Saskatchewan’s Craft Beer Pioneer. Join us and enjoy some of Bev’s favorite dishes and drinks. Two supper seatings have been created due to popular demand. Choose from 4:30 – 7:00 or 7:00 – 10:00. You can also join us for lunch when we open at 11:00.
BUSHWAKKER “NEW NORMAL” NOTES
Our Hours of Operation are Monday to Thursday from 11:30 AM until 9:00 PM and the kitchen closes at 8:00 PM. Fridays and Saturdays we open at 11:00 AM and close at 10:00 PM. Kitchen closes at 9:00 PM. We are still closed on Sundays at this time. Our takeout food and beer services will continue to be made available.
Reservations are accepted and encouraged. We accept reservations as late as 6:00 PM from Monday to Saturday. Call at 306-359-7276 to secure your table. Please note under the new provincial guidelines the maximum number of people who can be seated at the same table is now limited to four. Larger reservations must occupy more than one table and maintain three meters of physical distancing between each table.
Please continue to practice safe health and social distancing practices. Remain connected to one another and to us! In addition to this weekly newsletter, we are very active on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Check-in with us often as we navigate these continually evolving times together. Try to support local businesses whenever possible. Be vigilant in your resolve to protect yourselves which in turn will protect others. Please don’t let your guard DOWN so the province can open back UP!
This year’s Valentine’s Dinner will also be available for pre-order takeaway by visiting our website. Deadline for pre-orders is February 11th. Just visit https://bushwakker.com/product/valentines-dinner/ or click on the Valentines Dinner button at www.bushwakker.com You can select the time you would like to pick up your meal and even select a Bushwakker brew or two and one of our Valentines dessert features! Two in-house dining supper seatings are also available. Call 306-359-7276 to reserve your table today.
2021 BUSHWAKKER VALENTINES DINNER MENU
Available for dine-in or takeout. $42.95 person
STARTER: Choice of Romaine Heart Caesar Salad or Curried Red Lentil Butternut Squash soup with papadum chips.
MAIN COURSE: Steak Neptune. An 8 oz. AAA Black Angus New York strip with jumbo shrimp and Béarnaise sauce. Served with Potato Pave and Chef’s Vegetable Medley.
OPTIONAL VALENTINE DESSERTS. Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake or Peach Upside Down Cake with Vanilla Bourbon Pecan Ice Cream. $8.95
Industry Insights from the National Beer Wholesalers Association
BY: JIM DYKSTRA
In a year where nothing has gone unaffected by COVID-19, it should come as no surprise that the beer industry has taken some substantial blows. Among each tier, tears were shed as staff was downsized and shops shuttered.
Seemingly naive talk of bubbles bursting and David vs. Goliath battles have been eclipsed in the shadow of a worldwide pandemic, forcing tough decisions and harsh realities for businesses – adapt or die. Many rolled over quickly. Some put up a hell of a fight. Still others have evolved, and a rare few have managed to not only survive but thrive.
With Industry Insights from the National Beer Wholesalers Association, The Beer Connoisseur peers through the haze to make sense of a wild year.
The Damage from Above
The numbers don’t look great. The NBWA, along with the Beer Institute, Brewers Association and the American Beverage Licensees published a report stating more than 651,000 U.S. beer industry jobs will have been lost by the end of the year due to pandemic fallout.
Among the jobs lost, retail-related beer jobs will have been hit hardest – with over 400,000 job losses projected. This will come as no surprise, given the myriad challenges facing bars and restaurants. However, no arm of the industry has been spared. Over 3,600 brewing jobs and 1,800 distribution jobs are predicted to have fallen by the wayside at year’s end. The report also forecasts losses of more than $22 billion in retail beer sales. Ouch.
To add insult to injury, the perishable nature of beer meant a huge amount of product was wasted – a national tragedy in its own right. Craig Purser, president and CEO of the National Beer Wholesalers Association remarked:
“The abrupt forced shutdown of bars, restaurants, hotels, arenas and more during the busy spring season left at least $1 billion of perishable draft beer stranded in the marketplace and unable to be sold.”
As one of the biggest beer drinking months of the year, March was a particularly terrible time for the beer industry to be forced into shutdown, and millions of gallons of draft beer were lost, despite the best efforts of brewers and the NBWA to help reposition perishable inventory. However, losses due to unpredictable circumstances were but one of many financial hurdles the industry had to overcome, as Purser notes:
“In addition to this significant financial loss, beer distributors have seen their operating costs skyrocket as they have made substantial investments to keep their workforce and customers safe during this global health crisis.”
Those investments could include COVID-19 testing kits, temperature check devices, personal protective equipment like gloves and masks for employees along with additional cleaning supplies. Even for breweries, where cleanliness has always been essential, the standard for what is clean has skyrocketed, and with it, so have the maintenance costs. Many businesses have also chosen to provide masks to forgetful customers, rather than risk having to turn them away, or risk scaring off others. Hand sanitizer has to be plentiful, too.
TIME OUT – Marriage Quotes
You have two choices in life: You can stay single and be miserable, or get married and wish you were dead.
At a cocktail party, one woman said to another, “Aren’t you wearing your wedding ring on the wrong finger?” “Yes, I am. I married the wrong man.”
A lady inserted an ad in the classifieds: “Husband Wanted”. Next day she received a hundred letters. They all said the same thing: “You can have mine.”
When a woman steals your husband, there is no better revenge than to let her keep him.
A woman is incomplete until she is married. Then she is finished.
A little boy asked his father, “Daddy, how much does it cost to get married?”
Father replied, “I don’t know son, I’m still paying.”
Our Craft Beer Pioneer t-shirts will be on sale as part of our Friday, February 5th BEV DAY Celebration. Available in Charcoal Grey or Olive Green. Be sure to get your piece of Saskatchewan craft brewing history!
