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Saskatchewan

Saturday is Bushwakker Mead Day in Regina

Bushwakker Brewing kicked off the holiday season with its annual Mead Day, which lands on the first Saturday of every December. People lined up down the block for a chance at the brewery's blackberry mead.

Dozens lined up for the release of Bushwakker's blackberry mead.

CBC News ·

2016 Mead Day kicks off in Regina

8 years ago
Duration 1:24
"Waited 19 hours for this," says a mead enthusiast at Bushwakker's annual Mead Day in Regina on Saturday.

There was some provincial pride and a love for mead on display Saturday morning. 

Marshall Dixon and Brian Mercer were the first two people in line for Bushwakker's annual mead day, meaning they got first crack at this year's blackberry mead.

Both men grabbed their spot in line early, choosing to set up shop on Friday afternoon. They had a Saskatchewan flag draped over their setup.

Marshall Dixon, left, and Brian Mercer, right, were first in line for the mead. They grabbed their spot at 3:45 Friday afternoon. (Dean Gutheil/CBC)

"It has been many years since Saskatchewan has been first in line at Bushwakker's," Dixon said. He wanted to represent the province on the brewpub's 25th anniversary.

The two men had the second spot in line last year. Two Manitoba residents claimed the first spot last year. Mercer said the plan was to be first since that near-miss. 

"Saskatchewan should be first for the 25th [anniversary] and I'm feeling pretty good about it," Mercer said. 

The first 80 people in line would have a chance at a 25th anniversary extra-aged blackberry mead, which has been sitting in Bushwakker's cellar for the last 12 months.
The extra-aged mead was made available to the first 80 people in line. (Bushwakker Brewpub/Submitted to CBC)

Derek Burton and Fred Sheppard were the Manitoba representatives who beat Mercer and Dixon to the punch last year.

On Saturday they had fun, waiting for the pub to open, by posing with a cardboard cut-out of astronaut Chris Hadfield. The cut-out was used to represent a friend who was with them in line in 2015 but was unable to make it this year.

Everyone in the line shared a common sentiment of the mead.

"It's always fantastic," Burton said. 

It is the third year lining up for the Manitoba men. Each year, they get a dozen bottles. They drink some and give some away for the holidays.

The mead's going price is $75 for a six pack and $150 for a dozen.

"It's awesome," Dixon said as he took his first sip of mead fresh from the tap. "Waited 19 hours for this."

Dixon said he'll do it again next year, and the year after that.

"As long as they keep selling it, we'll wait out in line." 

Derek Burton and Fred Sheppard (and a third man, in the centre, who had a somewhat cardboard personality but the familiar face of Chris Hadfield) were first in line for mead a year ago. The men, who drove from Manitoba, returned for this year's batch. (Dean Gutheil/CBC)

With files from CBC's Dean Gutheil

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