What's the best way to combat frosty late Wisconsin winter temperatures? With frosty, delicious Wisconsin brews, of course.

At least that's the thinking behind the first annual Keg Killer Winter Beer Festival, an outdoor tribute to tasty craft beers – as well as the city's first outdoor winter beer sampling event of its kind – headed to The Micro at Wisconsin State Fair Park on Saturday, Feb. 11. From 1:30 to 5 p.m., more than 30 Wisconsin craft breweries will serve up unlimited three-ounce samples of their frosty finest, while live music – provided by J-Dubz – raffles and prizes, food from the Leinie Lodge and other fun activities will help keep attendees heated and happy.

"It's partially just that we wanted to create a cool event and, more important to us than anything else, something fun," said Ken Michel, director of operations at The Micro. 

The craft brewery lineup for the Keg Killer Winter Beer Festival, just finalized today with 31 total breweries – 12 of which from the Milwaukee area – includes: 

• Aly Asylum
• Brenner Brewing 
• Capital Brewing
• Central Waters Brewing Co.
• Door County Brewing Co. 
• Eagle Park Brewing Company
• Enlightened Brewing Company
• The Fermentorium 
• Good City Brewing
• Grumpy Troll Brew Pub
• Hinterland
• Karben4
• Lakefront Brewery
• Leinenkugel's
• Miller Valley Brewery
• Milwaukee Brewing Co.
• Mobcraft Beer
• New Glarus Brewing Co.
• Pearl Street Brewery
• Point 
• Potosi Brewing Company 
• Raised Grain Brewing Company
• Saint Francis Brewing Co.
• Sand Creek Brewing Company
• Sprecher Brewery
• Third Space Brewing
• Titletown Brewing
• Tyranena
• Wisconsin Brewing Co.
• 3 Sheeps
• 3rd Sign

The newly created beer festival ties into The Micro's overall "Micro All Year" campaign, which includes Wisconsin State Fair, Harvest Fair and Summer Untapped, hosted on Memorial Day weekend. 

"We just want to have some big events that help promote Wisconsin craft beer," Michel said. "As things have grown in the Milwaukee area – even in the last year – we want to help promote that as much as possible. That's one of our primary goals with any event that we do."

Of course, staying warm in the midst of predictably chilly February conditions – the current forecast as of writing expects a high of 32 degrees for that Saturday – will also be a goal. So the Keg Killer Winter Beer Festival will have a heated warm-up tent for those beer lovers needing a quick break from the brisk weather. 

"Minnesota and Michigan both have rather large beer festivals that are completely outdoors, and in talking with them a little bit, they said they both have a heated area where they don't necessarily serve beer, but people can warm up for five or ten minutes – or stay in there all day if they want – but the actual sampling and festival itself is outside," Michel noted.

General admission tickets cost $45 in advance, while VIP tickets – complete with a free Pub Pass and early admission beginning at 1 p.m. – cost $65. For more information, visit the Keg Killer Winter Beer Festival's website.