THE WAKKER WEEKLY
Issue #1616 – Posted on: 17-January-2022
BREWERY “HOP”PENINGS! Bushwakker Head brewer, Michael Gaetz, reports our famous Blackberry Mead is still available in our offsale but is no longer available on tap. Our seasonal Orangerine Fruit Beer is on tap and in our offsale!
Our GUEST TAP is currently pouring the MODERN IPA from Nokomis Craft Ales. Next up is a SMOKED PORTER from Swift Current’s Black Bridge Brewery.
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 a number of REGINA SLGA stores.
JANUARY PREMIUM WINE FEATURES. This month’s featured wines are from the Trapiche Winery in Argentina. The red is a Reserve Malbec and the white is a Reserve Pinot Grigio. Both are $7.95 for a glass and $21.95 for a half litre.
This Weekend’s January 14th & 15th Special Dining Feature will be BEEF SAUERBRATEN for $21.95. Our Saturday CLASSIC STEAK & A PINT SPECIAL will be back next week. Our Monday and Wednesday WINGS & A PINT SPECIAL and Tuesday PIZZA & A PINT SPECIAL are also great value deals.
The Bushwakker LOCAL ARTIST WALL for the month of January features the works of LARRY M. JACKSON. His artist biography is as follows:
Larry has perfected a versatility of style which keeps his paintings fresh and lively. His soft watercolours and vibrant acrylic inks contrast so dramatically that each painting is unique in itself.
Larry is regularly asked to give workshops in all parts of the country. His concepts about painting and his techniques have been especially encouraging to watercolour painters who are interested in developing successful styles of their own. He is well known for his patience with beginner students in watercolour.
Larry likes to work with lots of colour. Using lots of salt, sand, tea, coffee, anything that will stain the 300 lb. paper he works with. All the rough texture on the trees are painted with the bark from the trees and not a brush. This gives him a total feeling for the texture of the subject he’s working on.
The shapes of Larry’s work depict the feeling of the Saskatchewan landscapes and the colourful skies of the prairies. His inspiration has always been the love of nature and the colour of the prairies.
Enjoy Larry’s colourful and detailed work all this month!
They say don’t mess with perfection but the most popular item on our entire menu has recently received a slight tweak. Our signature FISH & CHIPS is even more popular than our famous nachos! Our Stubblejumper Pilsener battered Alaskan Cod filets served with our award-winning hand-cut fries and house-made tartar sauce are now slightly different. Come see the new “top cod!” Perfect comfort food for a cold winter’s day or night. Available in-house or to go. Call 306-359-7276 to get yours!
BUSHWAKKER “NEW NORMAL” NOTES
We are open Monday – Thursday from 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM. The kitchen closes at 9:30 PM and last call is at 10:15 PM. Fridays and Saturdays we are open from 11:00 AM until Midnight. The kitchen is open until 10:30 PM and last call is at 11:15 PM.
The government of Saskatchewan announced on January 12th, 2022 that the Mandatory Masking and Proof of Vaccination mandates for all pubs and restaurants would remain in place until the end of February. Please be sure you are wearing a mask upon entering and leaving Bushwakker and even if you just need to get up to use the washroom. Masks are not required when you are seated and are eating or drinking. If you forget to bring a mask, we can provide you with a new one. Proof of Vaccination is also required for offsale beer purchases.
Reservations are accepted and encouraged. We accept a limited number of reservations as late as 6:00 PM every day except Fridays. Fridays we accept reservations as late as 3:00 PM. Call us at 306-359-7276 to secure your table. We are now also able to accommodate larger groups. Our two banquet rooms are also available for private parties. Call Kelly at 306-359-7276 to book either our main floor Arizona Room or basement Clubroom.
Please continue to practice safe health measures. 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.
Jan. 17: Monday Night Jazz & Blues. RESONANCE. Powerful duo featuring upright bassist, Fred Foerster, and vocalist, Christie-Anne Blondeau. 8:00 – 10:00 PM.
Jan. 19: Wednesday Folk Night. NICK FAYE. Late 90’s-inspired pop-rock drenched in Canadiana. 8:00 – 10:00 PM.
Jan. 22: BUSHWAKKER 31ST BIRTHDAY. Thank you for your incredible enthusiastic support over the years! Stop by for a free slice of CHOCOLATE PORTER BIRTHDAY CAKE this Saturday. We will also acknowledge Robbie Burns’ birthday by putting every Single Malt Scotch on sale today. Come toast the Bush and the Bard on a budget!
Year in Beer 2021
From Brewers Journal Canada
As the industry kicks off 2022, the Brewers Association (BA) took a look back at a year filled with new growth, economic relief, supply chain disruptions, and innovation.
In 2021, the sales tide swung back toward breweries, bars, and restaurants, and many craft brewers began to see the path back to their former production volumes, if not new growth. Despite the pandemic, more than 9,000 breweries operated in the United States in 2021, a 6% increase from 2020. An increased brewery presence positively impacts the community—in 2020, small and independent American craft brewers contributed $62.1 billion to the U.S. economy. The industry also provided more than 400,000 total jobs, with nearly 140,000 jobs directly at breweries and brewpubs, including service staff at brewpubs.
Despite disruptions like weather, labor shortages, manufacturing delays, and more, craft brewers overcame obstacles and proved resilient. Many breweries were nimble and pivoted to packaging their product to bring in much-needed income when their primary sales channels—tasting rooms, brewpubs, bars, and restaurants—disappeared during the pandemic. In addition, breweries showed innovation across styles and flavor, and craft as a category continued to fill the innovation pipeline with new beers to return to pre-pandemic growth levels.
Disruptions are not just happening among craft brewers but also consumers; the American alcohol consumer is increasingly diverse and female, and female drinkers under 25 now outnumber male drinkers under 25. That shift will likely continue, and the Brewers Association is working to build resources to help diversify the craft brewing community.
“Coming out of a challenging year, small and independent breweries persevered and found new ways to innovate among a changing environment and evolving consumer preferences and expectations,” said Bob Pease, president and CEO, Brewers Association. “Craft brewers’ ability to take risks, innovate flavors, and build better communities has made the U.S. the craft beer capital of the world, and I can’t wait to see what next year brings for brewers and beer lovers alike.”
In 2021, supporting small brewers went beyond showing up at neighborhood tasting rooms, brewpubs, restaurants, and bars. In March 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act legislation created the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF)–a $28.6 billion relief effort that provided grants to hospitality businesses. The initial legislation did not list breweries as being eligible for grants, but the Brewers Association fought hard to ensure that breweries would be included in the RESTAURANTS Act. Thanks to the BA’s efforts, approximately 1,600 breweries received more than $450 million in grants and the association continues to advocate for full funding at the federal level. From fighting for more stringent antitrust enforcement by federal competition authorities to helping pass the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act to save brewers more than $80 million each year in federal excise taxes, to advocating for the passage of the USPS Shipping Equity ActOpens in new window, the fight for small brewers is ongoing.
TIME OUT
An older Nun who was living in a convent next to a construction site noticed the coarse language of the workers and decided to spend some time with them to correct their ways.
She decided she would take her lunch and sit with them, so she put her sandwich in a brown bag and walked over to the spot where the men were eating.
Sporting a big smile, she walked up to the group and asked: “Any of you men know Jesus?”
They shook their heads and looked at each other, very confused.
Then one of the workers looked up into the steelworks and yelled out, “Anybody up there know Jesus Christ?”
One of the steelworkers yelled back down, “Why?”
The worker yelled back, “Cause his mum’s here with his lunch!”
‘Tis the season. Take care out there.
