THE WAKKER WEEKLY
Issue #1672 – Posted on: 13-February-2023
Editor’s Note:
It is with profound sadness that we share with you the news of the passing of Dan Slator, who served as The Bushwakker’s first bar manager.
Dan had owned his own pub called the Speakeasy and was also the bar manager at Formerly’s pub in the Hotel Saskatchewan before being hired by Bev and Elaine Robertson to manage their new brewpub. Dan was involved with Bushwakker before it even opened it’s doors. He did some of the light construction work and painting in order to transform what was Modern Home Furniture into Regina’s first full mash brewery and restaurant. It was Dan’s idea that the bar should be situated against the east wall rather than being a large square-shaped bar in the centre of the main pub area.
Dan was known for his huge, bushy moustache. He often would slurp the beer foam from his massive whiskers when enjoying an after work pint. He entered the “Biggest Moustache Contest” held by the Regina Summer Exhibition on more than one occasion and often took the top prize. He was also know as being a calm, cool and collected bar manager. He seldom ever raised his voice but there was never any question when Dan meant business. Although Dan would jump into the trenches and help the bartenders and servers when needed, he liked to hang back and observe the staff work and keep and eye on everyone in the room to ensure no shenanigans were going on. He did this while slowly rocking back and forth against the corner of the wall scratching his back behind the bar.
Dan lived at Regina Beach while working at Bushwakker. He loved driving his big yellow convertible to and from work in the warmer months. The initial Bushwakker summer staff party was held at his home complete with the current bar manager’s rock and roll band. Dan had hired Grant only a couple weeks after Bushwakker opened as a bartender and was a mentor in his initial training as assistant bar manager. His training was sound as Grant has been serving as Bushwakker bar manager for over three decades.
Dan loved people and the pub atmosphere. He also loved live live music and introduced live music to The Bushwakker in September of 1991. He was also responsible for the biggest New Year’s Eve Party Bushwakker ever hosted by presenting The Jack Semple Band live at The Bushwakker on December 31, 1991. It is an interesting coincidence that Dan’s passing took place exatctly one week before Jack Semple returned to deliver a performance at Bushwakker after all those years.
Original Bushwakker Bar Manager Dan Slater pictured far left
BREWERY “HOPP”ENINGS! Bushwakker Head brewer, Michael Gaetz, reports that our seasonally available ARCTIC DARK MUNICH DUNKEL, BLACKBERRY MEAD, “MISSILE”TOW ENGLISH BARLEYWINE, CHERRY PASSION FRUIT ALE, and PICKARD’S OATMEAL CREAM STOUT are currently available. There are still some bottles of the amazing THREE-DOWN BOHEMIAN PILSNER in our offsale cooler. A batch of BARON BOCK is also currently working its way through the brewery.
This Weekend’s Special Dining Feature for February 10th & 11th is CHICKEN FRIED STEAK w/ YUKON FRIES for $21.95. 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.
Our SASK CRAFT GUEST TAP is currently pouring a BLACKBERRY BLONDE ALE from Saskatoon’s High Key Brewing. Next up is a DOUBLE WHITE IPA from Regina’s Pile O’ Bones Brewing.
FEBRUARY PREMIUM WINE FEATURES: This month’s red wine feature is THE MAGIC BOX CABERNET SAUVIGNON from southern Australia. $7.95 for a glass and $21.95 for a half litre. The white wine is VILLA MARIA EARTH GARDEN SAUVIGNON BLANC from New Zealand. $8.95 for a glass and $23.95 for a half litre.
The Frost edition of First Firkin Friday was met with much fabulous fanfare! Never before has a mascot assisted in tapping the firkin. Thanks Jack Frost! The illuminated Bushwakker Frost Ice Bar was also a sight to behold. The next edition of First Firkin Friday takes place on Friday, March 3rd at 5:30 PM.
The Bushwakker LOCAL ARTS WALL February featured artist is JERRY JESSOP. His artist biography is as follows:
I am currently using recreational subject matter to set up a relaxing and stimulating viewing experience. I have painted the figure from my beginning days as a professional painter in the early 1970’s, finding the figure to be communicative, erotic, and sensuous. In the formal aspects of painting, I use colour in an intuitive way, imagining colour in the many tones of nature. In a somewhat automatic way of applying paint, I rely on randomness, spontaneity and accident to add to the viewers experience of the process in the work. This way of using colour and fragmenting of shape can be seen in the work of the Post Impressionists, whom I have always admired. I have been an advocate of “more is more” as seen in the movement created by paint strokes, which pick you up and send the eye on an interesting journey.
Enjoy Jerry’s colourful work all this month!
UPCOMING BUSHWAKKER EVENTS
Feb. 13: Monday Night Jazz & Blues – special Pre-Valentine’s edition presented by The Regina Jazz Society. Concert and Dessert Auction featuring HEIDI MUNRO & SCOTT PATRICK. An annual fundraising event featuring a music performance from Saskatoon’s Heidi Munro & Scott Patrick Duo. The halftime break will be a great opportunity to bid of some decadent desserts from some of Regina’s leading caterers and restaurants. Don’t miss your chance to win some sweets for your sweetie! Tickets $20 each. Rush seating only. Please note the earlier start time. 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM.
Feb. 14: BUSHWAKKER VINTAGE VALENTINE’S DINNER. Enjoy our Retro Romantic Menu featuring some classic courtship cuisine including: Classic Chicken Cordon Bleu, Herbed Butter Ribeye Steak, Shrimp & Corn Bisque, Strawberry Gouda Pear Tossed Salad, Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake and Crème Brûlée with Shortbread Cookies. Fancy-schmancy restaurants may be the choice destination for some folks. Others who prefer great value and delicious food in a comforting and cozy setting often prefer to enjoy their Valentine’s experience with us. Full regular menu will also available. Reservations accepted! Call 306-359-7276.
Feb. 15: Wednesday Folk Night. BRADFORD. Talented acoustic duo featuring veteran Regina musicians, Brad Papp and Mark Radford. 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
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. 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. Closed Sundays.
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.
Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines: There’s Still Time to Get it Right
From the Canadian Craft Brewing Association
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve undoubtedly heard about the recent report released by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) concerning new low risk drinking guidelines. In a nutshell, the report recommends Canadians reduce alcohol consumption to no more than two drinks per week. Risk of a range of conditions, including heart disease, stroke, and cancer, they say, is low at 2 drinks per week, moderate at between 3 and 6, and increasingly high above 6. This is a dramatic change from the current cap of 15 drinks per week for men and 10 for women.
What does this mean for Canadians and our industry?
First, the CCBA remains committed to promoting moderation, responsible consumption and a diverse, equitable and inclusive craft brewing industry. Our craft beer sector has always focused on mindful consumption, in the way we price and promote our products, and the way we train our servers and run our taprooms. Our passion is for producing quality products over quantity. That commitment does not change.
What could change are the policies, rules and regulations governing our industry. Today, the CSSA is calling for new “standard drinks” labels, but where does it end? In ten or fifteen years, will we look back to 2023 as a tipping point of where additional restrictions began chipping away at where, when, and how alcohol can be packaged, sold, and served in Canada?
We need facts to broaden our understanding and inform sound public policy.
Of the 6,000 peer-reviewed studies the CCSA report guidelines are claimed to be based on, only 16 systematic studies were used in mathematical modelling. As Brock University professor Dan Malleck put it in the Globe and Mail, “the CCSA is basing its recommendation on a relatively narrow understanding of how alcohol functions.”
There is still time to get it right.
In spite of recent headlines, the new, recommended lower drinking guidelines are not a done deal. That is why we are reaching out to Health Canada to get insight into their response to the CSSA report and any timelines for addressing the recommendations in the report.
In partnership with Canadian brewers of all sizes, we are also continuing to ask Health Canada for a missing critical step be conducted, an expert technical peer review. We also urge the “standard drinks” labelling recommendation be rejected as unnecessary and proven ineffective in changing consumer behaviour.
Speaking of labelling requirements, we are also closely monitoring a separate but related effort: Senator Patrick Brazeau’s private Member’s Bill S-254. Now at second reading in the Senate, the Bill is seeking to amend the Food and Drugs Act to mandate warning labels on all beverage alcohol.
TIME OUT
A man asks his doctor: “Do you think I’ll live to be a hundred?”
The doctor asks the man “Well, that depends. Do you drink?”
“Oh, no sir! I abstain from all alcohol. Soda, too. I just drink plenty of fresh water.”
“Do you smoke?”
“No, sir! Never smoked in my life, and I stay away from any place with second hand smoke.”
“Do you eat a lot of sugary and greasy foods?”
“No, sir! I carefully watch my diet and caloric intake, and I’m sure to eat plenty of vegetables.”
“Do you go to parties? Stay up late? Are you sexually promiscuous?”
“Not at all! Early to bed and early to rise! And abstinence is key.”
The doctor raises an eyebrow at the man. “So… Why exactly do you want to live to be a hundred?”
