One of the best things in life is a good beer!

All over the country, breweries are bringing a variety of quality and fresh beer to the lips of millions. Murphysboro has its own legacy of brewing that began with Rudolph Stecher. Stecher was a German immigrant descended from brewers and coopers (makers of barrel or casks used in beer production). He purchased, with other partners, a small local brewery in 1886. When Stecher became the sole owner in 1899, the brewery was renamed "Rudolph Stecher Brewing Company."

By 1910, Stecher Brewing Co. produced more than 40,000 barrels of beer per year. By comparison, in 1901 Anheuser Busch produced a million barrels and today is producing almost 160 million barrels worldwide. Along with the death of Stecher in 1926, was the death of breweries in Murphysboro, Il, for almost 70 years. In 2009, Chuck Stuhrenburg opened Big Muddy Brewing in Murphysboro. Since then, four more breweries have opened in the area – Von Jakob, Scratch, Molly's Pint and Little Egypt.

The Friends of Murphysboro decided to celebrate the heritage and growth of the craft beer industry in Murphysboro, Il by creating the Big Muddy Monster Brew Fest event. The event helps to beautify Riverside Park and is helping to install a Splash Park at Longfellow Park in Murphysboro. Relish the scenery of historic Riverside Park, enjoy the live music of Boat Drunks and sip on some of the freshest beer in Southern Illinois.