Big Brew Fest returns to February with Booyah and Beer Poking

By Brian Kurzynski

STEVENS POINT — After a one-year move to the summer in 2025, Big Brew Fest, a major fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Wisconsin, will return as a winter event on Saturday, Feb. 7, at District 1 Brewing Company.

The decision to move the event back to February followed feedback from attendees and beverage vendors who said conflicts with other summertime events created obstacles last August.

“When we tried to move it to an outdoor event during the summer, there was just too much going on,” said Chris Gethers, co-owner of District 1 Brewing Company. “You’re competing with so many things in the summer. There were two, if not three, other beer festivals going on in Wisconsin.”

This year’s edition, called Big Brew & Booyah Bash, will run from 1-4 p.m. and take place primarily indoors at District 1, 200 Division St. North.

“There are three new things that we’re looking at for this year,” Gethers said. “We were sold on having the entire event outside with maybe three or four vendors inside. But with it being such a brutally cold winter, we decided to make it 70 percent inside, 30 percent outside.”

Gethers said four breweries will be set up outdoors, along with fire pits to allow attendees to warm up between tastings. There will be the usual unlimited samples of craft beverages from breweries, wineries and distilleries across the Midwest, and food offerings this year will see the addition of booyah.

“Booyah is a chicken noodle soup, chicken rice, chicken stew kind of a thing,” Gethers explained. “It’s something from northeastern Wisconsin, from the Green Bay area. I’ve poured at booyah festivals before. So we were thinking, if you’re going to be outside in the cold, what’s better than having a pint and some chicken stew or chicken noodle soup to go with it?”

The event will also feature Bierstacheln, beer poking, or beer sting, a German tradition in which a heated metal rod is placed into a glass of beer.

“We’re going to take our amber lager and insert a hot rod that will create some caramelization, a little bit of marshmallow, a little bit of toastiness,” Gethers said. “We’ll try not to warm the beer up too much, but it’s going to enhance and change the flavor profile.”

Gethers said the beer poking will be done with the help of Up North Brewing Company, and special glasses will be available for slightly larger pours.

“You’re free to try any beer that you would like and get it poked and see what that flavor profile looks like,” Gethers said. “We want to have a little bit more fun this year with these changes.”

District 1 Brewing Company has partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters on the Big Brew Fest since its debut in 2022, raising approximately $25,000 each year for local mentoring programs.

“This is one of Big Brothers Big Sisters’ premier fundraising events, this and Bowl for Kids’ Sake,” Gethers said. “So come on out. Don’t be afraid. You’ll be able to warm up inside, but you can go outside. We’ll have booyah. There’s no cost for the booyah, but get your tickets early because they’re $10 cheaper than at the door.”

Advance tickets are still available for $40 through the event website:

https://bbbscw.ticketspice.com/big-brew-booyah-bash

Tickets will also be available at the door for $50, with designated driver tickets for $20.