'It's all about tradition': Bushwakker marking 30 years of blackberry mead

The ancient art of meadmaking has become a holiday tradition for Regina’s Bushwakker Brewpub, marking 30 years of its signature blackberry mead on Saturday.

“It's all about tradition, it's all about Christmas,” said Grant Frew, the bar and marketing manager at Bushwakker.

It’s possibly the oldest method of making alcohol in history, known by the ancient Greeks as “The nectar of the gods.”

But despite that, it’s less complicated to make than many of the Bushwakker’s usual offerings.

“It's a lot easier to brew mead than it is to brew beer," said Michael Gaetz, the head brewer at the brewpub.

• Download the CTV News app to get breaking news alerts sent to your device

Almost everything at Bushwakker since its founding in 1991 is steeped in tradition – including the names of every beer and beverage on the green chalkboards showcasing what’s currently on tap, speckled throughout the historic building in Regina’s warehouse district.

That includes the brew the morning of Nov. 29 – a winter dark beer named Pickard’s Oatmeal Stout.

“When we make something like a stout in the morning, I'm like, ‘oh, that's the stuff’,” said Assistant Brewer Bradley Reiss-Dalrymple, a few hours after starting his 6:30 a.m. shift. “That doesn't wake you up. I don't know what will.”

The name comes from the maiden name of Elaine Robertson – the wife of Bushwakker’s founder, Bev Robertson.

Bushwakker Bar Manager Grant Frew admires the 30th annual edition of Blackberry Mead. (Gareth Dillistone/CTV News)

The Robertsons are also Gaetz’s grandparents, meaning many of the brews he oversees have direct family ties. That includes the original mead created by Bev’s son Scott in Bushwakker’s early days.

“I think he brought mead to Bushwakker because he was bored,” Frew chuckled.

The story goes it needed a name, and Gaetz’s grandmother suggested they name it after their cross-eyed Siamese cat, Mork, and thus, Mork’s Mead was born.

“When I was younger, I used to spend so much time with him when I would visit my grandparents,” Gaetz recalled.

Mork’s Mead is mead in its purest form: essentially just honey and water, fermented to create a smooth taste. The mead that started it all is back for 2024, to celebrate the anniversary.

It’s the first time Gaetz has tried his hand at the recipe.

“It's a really good opportunity to go back to the foundation of the mead here at Bushwakker and really showcase what the mead can be without adding fruit to it,” Gaetz said.

Michael Gaetz in the midst of the brewing process at Bushwakker Brewpub. (Gareth Dillistone/CTV News)

The oatmeal stout brewing behind the foggy windows of the Bushwakker on a cold morning in late November won’t be ready to go on tap until mid-March, right around St. Patrick’s Day.

But while the process for making mead is simpler the day of, any of the mead has to age for close to a year to be ready for the launch day.

No matter what’s brewing on any given day – the countdown to mead day is quite literally hanging over the heads of the brewers every morning – as the red numbers on a custom-made countdown clock tick further and further down.

“When I started, mead mania was still like at its height, and it was just psychotic how many people would line up in like minus 40 weather with the tents and everything,” Reiss-Dalrymple said. “It's like they'd be sipping on like little mickeys of whiskey to keep warm, stuff like that, just to get a hold of some blackberry mead.”

The launch for this year’s mead is set for Dec. 7, along with Mork’s Mead and a special three-year-aged version that’s been in reserve for the anniversary since 2021.

Fortunately for anyone planning to line up – temperatures are forecast to be above seasonal on launch day.