THE WAKKER WEEKLY
Issue #1658 – Posted on: 07-November-2022
BREWERY “HOPP”ENINGS: Bushwakker Head brewer, Michael Gaetz, reports that our seasonally available HARVEST OKTOBERFEST LAGER, PONCE DE LEON BLACKBERRY RASPBERRY WHEAT and SUMMER WHEAT are currently available on tap, in our offsale and for growler fills too. There are batches of THREE DOWN PILSNER, BLACKBERRY MEAD, PICKARD’S OATMEAL CREAM STOUT and “MISSILE”TOW ALE working their way through the brewery. In addition to taking our beer home in glass bottles and 2 litre jugs direct from our brewpub, you can find a varying selection of 650 ml bottles of Bushwakker beer in a number of REGINA SLGA stores.
NEW WEEKEND HOURS OF OPERATION! Fridays and Saturdays we are open from 11:00 AM until midnight. The kitchen is open until 11:00 PM and last call is at 11:15 PM.
This Weekend’s November 4th and 5th Special Dining Feature starting at 5:00 PM on Friday is Chef Mike’s famous low and slow oven-roasted PRIME RIB served with JUMBO YORKSHIRE PUDDING. We plan to make our prime rib dinners available every weekend into the new year. Our Saturday CLASSIC STEAK & A PINT SPECIAL will also be available. Our Monday and Wednesday WINGS & A PINT SPECIAL and Tuesday PIZZA & A PINT SPECIAL are also great value deals.
Our SASK CRAFT GUEST TAP is currently pouring the SPACE CADET IPA from Regina’s Pile O’ Bones Brewing. Next up is an OATMEAL STOUT from Nokomis Craft Ales.
NOVEMBER PREMIUM WINE FEATURES This month’s wine features are the PAUL MAS ESTATE WINES from France. The red is their Malbec and the white is their Valmont Blanc. Both are $8.50 for a glass and $22.95 for a half litre.
Early 2022 Blackberry Mead Release? There was a line-up to the corner when we opened last Saturday. No, it wasn’t people waiting in line for our famous mead, these fine folks were looking for tickets to our 32nd Single Malt Scotch Tasting event. Almost 100 tickets sold in an hour. Still a few remain. Don’t miss one our biggest events of the entire year! Drop by or call 306-359-7276 to get your tickets.
WE ARE HIRING! The busy fall and winter season is here! We need full and part-time cooks, a host/hostess and a part time sound tech. Stop by with your resume today!
Nov. 4: FIRST FIRKIN FRIDAY. Enjoy the pomp and circumstance of this longstanding 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 special firkin offering will be a VANILLA CHOCOLATE PORTER! The suds-soaking spectacular takes place at 5:30 PM
Nov. 5: BUSHWAKKER WRITER’S CORNER FIFTH EDITION READING EVENT. Join us for this annual event where we celebrate the talents of local authors; Donna Gartshore, Gail Bowen, Brian Bowman, Pam Bustin and Tara Gereaux in readings of their work. Enjoy our award-winning pub cuisine and in-house brewed beers as well as a special “writer-inspired” commemorative dessert while making yourself cozy in the year-round Writer’s Corner found near the back of the brewpub. 3:00 PM.
Call for submissions! About the Bushwakker’s Writers Corner: Bushwakker’s is seeking donations of recent publications (2020-22 publication dates) from Saskatchewan authors in all genres to help expand their library within the Writer’s Corner. The books will be available for patrons to read and are to remain in the brewpub at all times.To be considered for the library, books must be a minimum of 40 pages and professionally bound. Please drop off a copy of your recently published book (along with purchasing information which can be shared with brewpub patrons) to Grant Frew at bar@bushwakker.com.
Nov. 7: Monday Night Jazz & Blues. AZARIAH. Rockin’ Blues with this veteran Regina band. 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
Nov. 9: Wednesday Folk Night. DIETER & WESTON. Two veteran Regina musicians combine forces in making their Bushwakker debut. 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
Nov. 10: SCIENCE PUB: MESMERIZING MATH – Erdos-Ko – Rado, How I Love You So. Our wildly popular Science Pub Series has returned for a 10th incredible season. Enjoy lectures on scientific topics of general interest in our Arizona Room over fine craft beer and award-winning pub cuisine. The room opens at 5:00 PM. Avoid disappointment and come down early for dinner and a pint before the presentation which begins at 7:00 PM. This month’s lecture will be presented by Dr. Karen Meagher from the University of Regina Mathematics & Statistics Department. In this talk I will introduce my favourite theorem, the Erdos-Ko-Rado theorem. This theorem describes the largest collection of subsets (all of the same size) you can build with the extra condition that any two of the subsets have at least one element in common. I will show how this theorem gives us an efficient way to test if a network of switches is working properly. Beyond applications, this is a very famous theorem that is a corner stone result in an area of math called “extremal set theory”. One of the reasons that I like this theorem is that there are many different proofs that use different types of math and there are many generalizations and extensions. I will outline some of these different approaches and generalizations in my talk.
Nov. 11: Remembrance Day. Open at noon.
Nov. 14: Monday Night Jazz & Blues – Special Edition. PRODIGALS QUARTET. Presented in conjunction with The Regina Jazz Society. One of the biggest Bushwakker live music events of the year! Prodigals Quartet is a brand new Quartet to Regina. They are new because this will be the first time this group has been put together in this configuration. Three of the players are outstanding Saskatchewan musicians. Donny Kennedy is originally from Regina and has just recently returned this fall to Regina after a 25+ year career as a professor at McGill University attaining a Master’s Degree in jazz performance with high distinction in jazz saxophone. Donny is active as a performer playing in versions of his own quintet and sextet and with many others including a list of the “who’s who” in jazz. Also originally from Regina, Derek Friesen, studied at McGill University as the top graduate selection for the Ray Hnatyshyn – Oscar Peterson scholarship for top graduating high school musicians. Derek also graduated from The Berklee College of Music in Boston on a full tuition scholarship and has received a Master’s Degree from the New England Conservatory with high honours. Additionally, Derek has performed in over 65 countries playing with the best of the best in jazz. In 2020 Derek graduated from the James Cook University in Australia with a degree in Dentistry and currently practices alongside his father at Landmark Dental in Regina. After touring and playing throughout Canada early in his career, Chris Wallace moved to Scotland to teach as the head tutor at Stevenson College in Edinburgh. From there Chris toured and played on five continents with every imaginable genre of music and all the best players on the jazz scene including a stint in New York with such outstanding drummers as Joe Farnsworth and Willie Jones III. After the better part of a decade in Toronto and once again recording with anyone and everyone of significant status, Chris has returned to Saskatchewan where he teaches while living in Fort Qu’Appelle. The final quartet member is Josh Rager who is a keyboardist, arranger and composer teaching jazz studies at Concordia University in Montreal. Josh has played and toured all over North America and Europe including recording with Nikki Yanoffsky at Carnegie Hall. Josh is one of the new breeds of Quebec musicians offering up a sweet, smoky, fast-paced brand of fusion and up-tempo jazz.
This is Regina’s newest, hippest and swingiest group to open Regina Jazz Society’s 2022 – 23 annual regular jazz programming. Tickets are $20 each and are available at The Bushwakker Brewpub or by visiting www.jazzregina.ca. Rush seating only. Plan to arrive early for dinner and to get a good seat! Note the earlier start time. 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
Nov. 26: THE 32nd BUSHWAKKER SINGLE MALT SCOTCH TASTING. One of our biggest events of the entire year is back after a three-year hiatus! Experience six special order Scottish delights complete with commentary from the masters of ceremonies. Entertainment includes a Highland dancing demonstration as well as a performance from the Regina Police Services Pipes & Drums. Plenty of fine door prizes too. Optional scotch-inspired meal also available immediately prior to the tasting. Tickets are $89.95 each.
CURRENT HOURS OF OPERATION AND RESERVATIONS NOTES
We are open Monday – Thursday from 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM. The kitchen closes at 9:00 PM and last call is at 9:15 PM.
NEW WEEKEND HOURS! Fridays and Saturdays we are open from 11:00 AM until midnight. The kitchen is open until 11:00 PM and last call is at 11:15 PM.
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. Our two banquet rooms are also available for private party rentals. Call Kelly at 306-359-7276 to book either our main floor Arizona Room or basement Clubroom.
Mixed Results for Prairie Breweries at Inaugural Canada Beer Cup
from onbeer.org
A couple of days ago the results of the first annual Canada Beer Cup were announced. And while it was a mixed night for prairie-based breweries the launching of this new beer competition is a welcome addition to the Canadian beer scene.
The Canada Beer Cup is a creature of the Canadian Craft Brewers Association, which launched a few years ago to represent the interests of Canada’s small-scale, independent breweries. It was supposed to take place early in 2022, but COVID found a way, yet again, to wreck another fun thing in our lives. They were finally able to complete judging in Toronto earlier this fall and announced the results this past weekend.
There can be no ignoring the fact The Canada Beer Cup (CBCs) appears to be set up as a direct competitor for the Canadian Brewing Awards (CBAs), the longstanding national competition run by a private, for-profit organization. I am going to stay a million miles away from that debate as there are many perspectives. I just mention it because I know you, dear reader, are already thinking about it.
The Beer Cup is open to any brewery in Canada with an excise and provincial production license, less than 400,000 HL of production and 75% Canadian owned. The slate of judges may truly be one of the most impressive line-ups we have seen in Canada, headed up by the unmatchable Stephen Beaumont and including international names such as England’s Pete Brown (who may be my favourite beer writer) and Kate Bernot and John Holl from the U.S. Why Don Tse got included in that list is beyond me, but otherwise it is a quality panel (just kidding, Don!!).
They did not release the competition statistics but organizers tell me there were more than 200 breweries that entered and more than 1300 entries in 65 categories. And what of the results? B.C.’s Callister Brewing took Best of Show with their Wee Laird Wee Heavy Scottish Ale.
Looking specifically at the prairies – which is my beat after all – it was something of a mixed result. I would argue that Alberta breweries under-performed, especially in comparison to their recent success at the CBAs. However, Saskatchewan breweries did quite well, given their number and size. Of the 175 medals awarded, Saskatchewan picked up 6 medals (1 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze). Given that they have about 2% of the breweries in Canada, scooping up 3.5% of the medals should be considered over-preforming. Four different breweries won medals: Nokomis (Gold, Silver), Rebellion (Silver, Bronze), Paddock Wood (Silver), Pile ‘O Bones (Bronze).
Saskatchewan
- Gold: Nokomis Zig Zag Wonderer-Brett Saison (Saison)
- Silver: Paddock Wood Red Hammer (Amber/Irish Style Red Ale)
- Silver: Rebellion Amber Ale (North American Amber Ale)
- Silver: Nokomis Schwingungen (Flemish Style Red/Oud Bruin)
- Bronze: Pile O’ Bones Scarth Street Blonde Ale (Cream/Golden Ale)
- Bronze: Rebellion Cat’s Got The Cream (Herb & Spice)
Manitoba picked up three medals, all from Nonsuch Brewing, the Belgian inspired Winnipeg brewery which scooped up two golds and a bronze. Pretty impressive.
As for Alberta, nine breweries picked up 12 medals, including 4 gold, 5 silver and 3 bronze. Blindman Brewing won two golds and a bronze, while Cabin Brewing was the only other multiple medal winner with two silvers.
Personally I consider this to be a less-than-expected result, all other things being equal (we don’t know how many or which breweries entered). Twelve medals is 7% of the total, while Alberta currently has just over 10% of the breweries. I know competitions are not about proportionality (they are kind of like elections in Canada that way – who cares about proportionality?), but it is a rough measure of how well a province is doing. The big winners of the night, provincially, were the big three – Ontario with 54 medals (22 gold), B.C. with 46 (11 gold) and Quebec with 40 (10 gold). This doesn’t surprise, but in recent years it has seemed like Alberta was catching up with the big provinces. The CBCs seem to be a slight setback.
TIME OUT
The barkeep asks the guy sitting at the bar, “What can I get for you?” The guy answers, “A scotch, please.” The bartender hands him the drink, and says “That’ll be five dollars,” to which the guy replies, “What are you talking about? I don’t owe you anything for this.” A lawyer, sitting nearby and overhearing the conversation, then says to the bartender, “You know, he’s got you there. In the original offer, which constitutes a binding contract upon acceptance, there was no stipulation of remuneration.” The barkeep was not impressed, but says to the guy, “Okay, you beat me for a drink. But don’t ever let me catch you in here again.” The next day, same guy walks into the bar. Bartender says, “What the heck are you doing in here? I can’t believe you’ve got the audacity to come back!” The guy says, “What are you talking about? I’ve never been in this place in my life!” The bartender replies, “I’m very sorry, but this is uncanny. You must have a double.” To which the guy replies, “Thank you. Make it a scotch.”
