THE WAKKER WEEKLY
Issue #1681 – Posted on: 17-April-2023
BREWERY “HOPP”ENINGS! Bushwakker Head brewer, Michael Gaetz, reports that our seasonally available TWO SONS MILK STOUT, ARCTIC DARK MUNICH DUNKEL and brand new CHERRY LIME ALE are currently available. There are still some bottles of the amazing THREE-DOWN BOHEMIAN PILSNER in our offsale cooler. A batch of BARON BOCK and SASKADIAN BLACK IPA are currently working their way through the brewery.
Next Weekend! After a four-year hiatus, we are very excited to bring back our signature Bushwakker event which showcases the talents of both the kitchen and the brewery! Tickets to our April 22nd Bushwakker Brewer’s Dinner are on sale now! $89.95 each. Each course utilizes beer as an ingredient and is paired with a half pint of beer to accentuate the flavours of the food. Don’t miss our most decadent dining experience of the entire year!
BUSHWAKKER BREWER’S DINNER 2023 – MEXICAN BBQ
1ST COURSE: BOCK BRAISED SMOKED PORK EMPANADAS
Baron Bock braised smoked pork and monterey jack empanada on a bed of Mexican slaw with pickled red onion salsa fresca, ancho bbq sauce and cilantro crema, paired with Harvest Oktoberfest Lager.
2ND COURSE: TROPICAL CEVICHE LAGER TOSTADA
Northern Lights Lager, ahi tuna, shrimp and tropical fruit ceviche, paired with Three-Down Bohemian Pilsner.
3rd COURSE: DUNKEL BISTEC ASADO
Slow roasted Arctic Dark Munich Dunkel and citrus marinated beef tenderloin with smoked pepper salsa verde, ancho mole sauce, roasted poblano and Oaxaca cheese mashed potato and sweet corn succotash, paired with Saskadian Black IPA.
PALATE CLEANSER: NIEVE DE LIMA made with Mexican Lime Radler
4th COURSE: DULCE DE LECHE CHICO CHURRO TARTA
Chico IPA churro cake topped with dulce de leche ganache, Mexican hot chocolate sauce and a Blackberry Mead paleta on a bed of ground almond brittle, paired with Chocolate Two Son’s Milk Stout.
This menu was thoughtfully designed by Bushwakker kitchen team members, Andrew Calibaba and Amber Colbourne.
This Weekend’s Special Dining Feature for April 14 & 15 is ROAST STRIPLOIN w/ GARLIC MASHED for $23.95. 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 the KRRRISPY RICE LAGER from Swift Current’s Black Bridge Brewery. Next up is a CHERRY APPLE CIDER from Saskatoon’s Crossmount Cidery.
APRIL PREMIUM WINE FEATURES: Our April Wine features pay tribute to the iconic rock band and proudly hail from Canada! The red wine is HENRY OF PELHAM BACO NOIR VQA and the white wine is GRAY MONK PINOT GRIS. Both are $8.95 for a glass and $23.95 for a half litre.
ONLY TWO WEEKS REMAIN! The 2023 “Best of Food Regina” nominees have now been selected. There were a number of category changes made this year which should make things interesting. Thank you for nominating your Bushwakker in 11 categories including BEST: Local Beer Maker, Pub, Warehouse District Restaurant, Warehouse District Pub, Pub Food, Burgers, Veggie Burger, Fries, Wings, Beer Selection and Pub For a Date! Be sure to turn those nominations into wins by voting in the easy and fun multiple-choice ballot. Just head over to prairiedogmag.com or click the link below. Voting is open only until May 1st, so don’t delay.
Best of Food 2023 | Best Restaurant | Best of Food 2023 | Prairie Dog (prairiedogmag.com)
We haven’t presented a PREMIUM TEQUILA TASTING EVENT in 15 years! This time around six one-ounce servings of premium small Mexican distillery delights will be discussed and evaluated including three unique 100% blue agave tequilas, a raicilla, a mezcal and even a mezquila! Learn about tequila history, production methods, renowned producing regions, 100% blue agave vs. mixto tequila and why premium sipping tequila does not require salt and citrus! The tasting will take place in our Arizona Room. Only 50 tickets available at $49.95 each. Hosted by Chris Mooney from Set The Bar.
UPCOMING BUSHWAKKER EVENTS
Apr. 17: Monday Night Jazz & Blues. CALL ME MILDY. Original jumpin’ blues, diggin’ rock and sweet reggae. 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
Apr. 19: Wednesday Folk Night. SPRING SINGER/SONGWRITER SHOWCASE. Veteran wordsmith, Neil Child, assembles a number of up-and-coming as well as veteran singer/songwriters to deliver their varied works. Enjoy performances from: ABBY KAITLYN, MARIE LERMINIAUX, DONNY REDDEKOP, OLIVIA HANNAH, REGAN HINCHCLIFFE, TRENT LEGGOTT, BARON CHILD & NEIL CHILD. 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.
Federal Tax Reduction won’t Help Small Businesses in Sask
From Brewers Journal Canada
Last week’s federal budget announcement, “A Made-In-Canada Plan” lowered the proposed beverage alcohol duty from 6.3 per cent to two per cent, to help fight tax hikes and inflationary costs.
But not everyone is convinced the move will benefit the industry overall, as much as it will large companies.
“We are grateful that Minister Freeland responded to today’s unique business circumstances, a struggling hospitality sector and a fragile consumer and reduced this year’s increase in federal excise duties from 6.3 per cent to 2 per cent,” said CJ Hélie, president of Beer Canada.
According to Beer Canada, Canada has the highest beer tax rates amongst G7 countries and beer sales are still 15 to 20 per cent below pre-pandemic levels.
The previous tax hike to 6.3 per cent, originally scheduled for April 1, would have been the largest beer tax increase for Canadians in 40 years.
“Faced with already very high tax rates, increased operating costs and depressed beer sales volumes, a 6.3 per cent federal beer tax increase this year would have been devastating to brewers, brewery workers, the hospitality and tourism sector and hard-working Canadian consumers and we are appreciative that Minister Freeland took action to provide the sector some breathing room to recover,” said Hélie.
“It’s just a huge tax break for multi-national corporations that really don’t have jobs here and don’t invest here,” said Mark Heise, owner of Rebellion Brewery.
He is also a board member for Canadian Craft Breweries and said they have been advocating for excise reform for years.
“We have been asking the federal government to look at the tiers and the amounts paid instead of just looking at that inflationary thing,” said Heise. “It would allow better rates and better benefits to the smaller breweries in Canada, the independently owned breweries in Canada.”
“We have been lobbying for the smallest, smallest breweries to pay almost nothing,” said Heise. “In the scheme of things, it’s not a large tax amount for the government, but it is really impactful for these really, really small breweries, especially where cash flow is so important right now.
“We know that they would take those tax savings and invest in jobs and invest in their equipment and invest in their community, as opposed to the big companies that got the tax break today. They are just going to line their pockets.”
TIME OUT
A guy walks into a bar, grabs a seat, and orders a whiskey double, neat.
The bartender prepares his drink with great delicacy and brings it right over. The gentleman reaches into his blazer, searching frantically. This catches the bartender’s attention, so he monitors the patron out of the corner of his eye. Finally, the man finds what he’s looking for and lets out a sigh of relief. He pulls out a straw and takes a sip of his whiskey. The perplexed bartender grabs his attention, “I’m terribly sorry sir, was your glass dirty?” To which the man replies surprised, “Oh no, no everything’s fine! I just promised my wife I’d never put my lips on another glass of whiskey again.”
No patio for Bushwakker this year. Perhaps with the announced Dewdney Avenue revitalization project we’ll have patio seating in the summer of 2025!
