THE WAKKER WEEKLY
Issue #1577 – Posted on: 19-April-2021
BREWERY “HOP”PENINGS! Bushwakker Head brewer, Michael Gaetz, reports our Red Currant Ale and Chinook ESB seasonal brews are currently available! He also has a brand new fruit beer offering in very limited quantities called Ruby Red Raspberry Currant Ale which is now in our offsale. Enjoy while quantities last! There are also ten other year round beers in our offsale cooler. Keg fills are also available at this time. Sorry no growler fills.
APRIL OFFSALE PREMIUM WINE FEATURES. The red is Felicette Cats In Space Grenache from France. Raspberry and plum aromas, medium-bodied on the palate, soft and juicy. The white is Kona Pinot Gris from New Zealand. Fruit-driven yet balanced with gentle acidity.
Our Saturday CLASSIC STEAK & A PINT SPECIAL will be available for takeout. Instead of a pint of Bushwakker brew, you receive a 650ml glass bottle. We will also have a PULLED PORK & APPLE PIZZA available this weekend. Our Monday and Wednesday WINGS & A PINT SPECIAL and Tuesday PIZZA & A PINT SPECIAL are also available with a takeout bottle of fine Bushwakker brew!
In addition to taking our beer home in glass bottles and 2 litre jugs direct from our pub, you can find a varying selection of 650 ml bottles of Bushwakker beer in ALL SIX REGINA SLGA stores.
As we continue to celebrate our 30th anniversary this year, we reflect upon some of our beers which have played a role in defining who we are. One of the philosophies valued by our late co-founder and president, Bev Robertson, was that a successful business must give back to the community it served. This practice can be fulfilled in many ways such as: supporting other small businesses by utilizing locally produced quality ingredients when feasible, embracing local cultural groups in celebrating their significant milestones via the creation of commemorative beers, or even serving as a venue for local musicians, authors and visual artists to showcase their works.
Which brings us to a beer which was presumably intended to be a “one-off” and instead became a longstanding Bushwakker flagship brew! Our CHERYL’S BLONDE ALE is a celebration of two talented women and one understanding brewer. Back in the early 2000’s, our brewery was continuing to expand the number of available seasonal beers. A number of these offerings were either rich and roasty or big and bitter. Bushwakker floor manager, CHERYL TOVEY, was not a huge fan of either style and felt that Bushwakker customers needed to have a light, introductory, user-friendly, blonde ale. We were already serving our Northern Lights Lager which had been on tap since day one, but Cheryl knew a nice, light ale would also be well received. Our head brewer at that time was David Rudge who now operates Winnipeg’s Half Pints Brewery. David initially did not share in Cheryl’s overt enthusiasm to create such a brew. But as many of us will understand, Cheryl possesses a somewhat “strong-willed personality” and was not about to let her target beer go. Eventually, David agreed to accommodate her repetitive requests and he formulated a blonde coloured ale with a light touch of hop flavour and a small addition of malted wheat to impart a distinct fruity flavour. It was also dry hopped with Czech Saaz hops to enhance the aroma. The resulting beer was enthusiastically embraced by Bushwakker beer fans. Although it has undergone some subtle evolution over the decades, it’s importance has grown in the Bushwakker family of beers as it often serves as the base brew for our wildly popular fruit beers.
Our Cheryl’s Blonde Ale also celebrates the talents of long-time Bushwakker server, QUIN GREIG. Quin is a practicing interdisciplinary artist who received her Bachelor of Fine Arts with distinction from the University of Regina. She specializes in watercolor drawings and is influenced by the people and events she encounters in her daily life. Working with Cheryl for many years, Quin drew upon her experiences with Cheryl and successfully captured her strong personality traits utilizing her signature powerful artistic style. Both the beer and the label are a testament to two very talented women in our local community!
Thanks to everyone who nominated us in 13 different categories in the 2021 edition of the Prairie Dog Magazine’s Best of Food Regina Awards! Those categories include: Best Brewpub, Best Pub, Best Downtown Pub, Best Covid-Adapted Restaurant, Best Beer Selection, Best Takeout, Best Business Lunch, Best Nachos, Best Pub Pizza, Best Local Burgers, Best Local Fries, Best Scotch Selection and Best Desserts. Help us turn those nominations into wins by voting at https://prairiedogmag.com/best-of-food-2021/#//until May 2nd. Thank you for your continued enthusiasm and support!
Although we are not offering growler fills at this time, we are certainly filling kegs! Bring yours down or get one of ours. Four sizes available ready to be filled with any tasty Bushwakker brew! Call 306-359-7276 to order yours!
Fundraising Opportunity! Although we have suspended our in-house Steak Night Fundraisers, we now offer a unique PIZZA & A “PINT” takeout fundraising event on Mondays. Pizza & Pint Pick Up. BUSHWAKKER AWARD-WINNING PUB PIZZAS! Prepared with our own handmade herbed pizza crust. 8” on regular thickness crust with hearty toppings! (Typically feeds 1-2 ppl). Includes your choice of one 650ml bottle of Bushwakker beer!
Learn more or register your group for a hassle-free and unique fundraising experience at Bushwakker Brewing: Pizza & Pint Pick Up | Fundraisn
BUSHWAKKER “NEW NORMAL” NOTES
Our Hours of Operation will change on Monday, March 29th! On March 23rd the provincial government announced that Regina restaurants will be reduced to takeout only starting on March 28th. We will offer our takeout food and beer Monday to Saturday from 11:30 AM – 7:00 PM. We are closed on Sundays for now. Call 306-359-7276 to place your orders.
We kindly ask you place your takeout orders ahead of time by calling us at 306-359-7276 so that we can have your order ready upon your arrival. There is no seating available within the pub but we have placed various physically-distanced X’s throughout the pub where you can wait for your order. Just stand on a red “X” and we will inform you when your order is ready. We also can provide curbside pickup. Just let us know when you will be arriving at out back door and we’ll run it out to you. Thank you for your understanding and continued support.
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 Regina can open back UP!
Downtown Businesses Welcome Ballpark Concept, Further Development at Railyard
Britton Gray Regina / 980 CJME
Downtown Regina businesses are in favour of home runs and crowds in the area if a new ballpark gets the signal to swing for the fences.
The Regina Red Sox have made public their concept for a new 3,500-seat downtown ballpark.
Bushwakkers brew pub bar manager Grant Frew says nothing but good could come from having a ballpark right across the street from the bar on Dewdney Avenue.
“Looking at this dusty old lot for three decades, to finally see something concrete taking place is very exciting,” Frew said.
“It has been frustrating. We’ve been hearing for years and years and years about different plans that are going to take place but this sounds like something that could really be tangible.
“What’s more traditional than baseball to link the modernism with downtown Regina with the historic Warehouse District?”
Rebellion Brewing president and CEO Mark Heise, whose business has been next door to the empty lot for years, also believes it could be a great driver for downtown business.
“It’s exciting to hear that someone wants to put something in that space. It has been vacant for a long time and I think a baseball diamond could be a good fit in there and I look forward to furthering this option,” Heise said.
“We’re looking for some sort of a feature development there, whether (it’s) a ball diamond or a few other things that are possible. But you need that main draw to help fill in the rest of the space around it.”
And what has it been like having a business next to a lot that has stayed empty for years?
“It certainly doesn’t help. (There’s) not much more to say beyond that,” Heise said.
But the new ballpark isn’t a home run just yet. The project still needs to be debated by city council and given approval.
There also still needs to be discussion about how the project — at a cost of possibly up to $25 million — will be financed and who will be on the hook for what percentage of the funds.
TIME OUT– 10 More Strange Things to Take Your Mind off of Politics, Pandemic and a Dull Day
There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with orange, purple and silver.
The name ‘Wendy’ was apparently made up by the author of the book, PETER PAN. There is not a written record of anyone named ‘Wendy’ before that book was published.
The very first bomb dropped by the Allies on Berlin in WWII killed the only elephant in the Berlin Zoo.
If one places a tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion, it will instantly go mad and sting itself to death. (What sadist discovered this?)
Bruce Lee was so fast that they actually had to s-l-o-w film down so you could see his moves. That’s the opposite of the norm.
The first CD pressed in the US was Bruce Springsteen’s . . . “Born in the USA.”
The original name for butterfly was ‘flutterby’.
The phrase “rule of thumb” is derived from an old English law which stated that you couldn’t beat your wife with anything wider (thicker) than your thumb.
The first product that the Motorola company started to develop was a record player for automobiles. At that time, the best known record player on the market was Victrola, so they called themselves MOTORola.
Roses may be red, but violets are indeed violet.
In addition to offering our award-winning pub cuisine and craft beer for takeout, we also have this rare treat! Our Sarsaparilla is a non-alcoholic, intense, licorice-like, root beer-flavoured creation! This powerful soda pop is not for the faint of heart. Think of it as the Imperial IPA of soda pops! Available in limited quantities. It seems to sell out as soon as we have a new batch ready! Thanks for your enthusiastic support Regina!