The Early Years 
Focal Point (our original name) came to life back in the fall of 1991. A man by the name of Mike Champion had been living in Stevens Point for about a year and was running into more and more people who either had an interested in homebrewing or were home brewers themselves. Since Mike had been in a very large and very enjoyable club in the Milwaukee area (The Brewtown Brewmasters), he thought what the hell, let's give it a shot.
The very first meetings of "Focal Point" were held at Bernard's Inn on North Second Drive. Way back then he was one of the few places in Point that had any kind of selection of good beer. The beer drank at those meetings was fresh Spaten Ocktoberfest.
Later that fall in 1991, Mike and Jim Barge invited anyone interested in homebrewing to meet for an organizational meeting at Partners Pub. A small group of interesting folks turned out and as they say, "the rest is history."
That group, which comprised the original charter members of the club (Mike Champion, Jerome Ebel, Paul Hillestad, Fred Williams, David Verhage and Jim Barge), ended the evening by gathering back at Mike's house to do the only logical thing, have a few homebrews!
The club grew little by little and started holding meetings at members homes on a rotating basis. A very clear expert emerged early on and that was Jerome Ebel. It was clear that with his brewing knowledge and skill, combined with Mike's gift of gab, networking and bullshit, the club would work!
The Middle Years
The Later Years
Mike Champion spent many years at the helm of Focal Point. Sometime around 2001-2002, Mike decided to step aside and that's when Dave Henry and Bill Devita took the reigns. They continued to organize the meetings which were mostly held at the Stevens Point Brewery, but once in a while there would be a special gathering out in Junction City at Central Waters Brewing Company (Jerome Ebel's operation at one point in time).
The club started generating income by gathering donations from the Stevens Point Co-op, Central Waters Brewing Company, and the Stevens Point Brewery and holding raffles at meetings and events. Meetings were advertised at the Co-op and this brought in many new members. In 2002 a 'Name the Brewclub' contest was held, and Focal Point was officially renamed Central Wisconsin Draught Board. It was a hard change for some, but many members felt it was overdue.
In 2003, the club's 1st Annual Summer Solstice Brew took place in June 2003, followed by the 1st Annual Polar Brew on the ice of Lake Sunset in February 2004. The club hosted the 2nd Annual Summer Solstice Brew in June 2004 at Iverson Park where roughly 100 gallons of beer were brewed.
It was decided early in 2005 by Dave Henry and Bill Devita, that a new direction needed to be taken in the Club, and they stepped down as the club organizers after the 3rd Annual Summer Solstice brew event took place. Dave and Bill indicated they would still be involved in the club, however, no longer in the capacity that they once were. Mike Krause decided to step up to the plate, with the assistance and help of a few others.
The Now Years
The Central Wisconsin Draught Board is still kicking and continues to meet at the Stevens Point Brewery's Hospitality Room every third Thursday of the Month. Meetings are mostly made up of 50% education and 50% libation and all are welcome to attend. Topics of education range from beer styles, to brewing methods, to sanitary concerns.
Every few months, the club has some sort of event being held. Whether it's touring the Stevens Point Brewery, the cold winter Polar Brew, the Golden Growler Homebrew Club Challenge, or the most recent 3rd Annual Summer Solstice, there always seems to be something on the palette, er, plate. If you are in the Stevens Point area and would like to check out the club, stop by the Brewery. We'll be there, most likely standing outside waiting for someone to let us in.
Bill Devita reminisces…
". . . I think it was at the 2002 Festival of Beers when I first met Marc Buttera. He and I were manning the Central Wisconsin Draught Board booth and hit it off pretty well. I think he had recently moved back to town and I could tell this guy was excited about homebrewing - much beyond hacks like me. He started attending meetings and brought a lot of enthusiasm back into the club. It was at this festival of beers that we established our treasury. Keg bowling was a big hit and Jerome ran a good game . . ."
Marc Butterra reminisces…
". . . In 1995 while in college, I moved into a house on Union St. I had a warm reception from the guy next door who offered me a homebrew. I was instantly hooked. That guy was Mike Champion. He showed me his basement brewery consisting of a diaper pail for a fermenter and a canning pot. Primitive but effective. Sometime later, he invited me to some friends of his that were making a huge batch of beer. That is where I met Jerome Ebel and Mike McElwain. Mike took my friend and I to his cellar so we could pic a few beers of our liking for sampling. Mike even let me have a look at his recipe book. I remember copying down a recipe named "Rainy Day Red". That entire day is burned into my memory. I think that is why I am so nutty about brewing today. Thanks Mike, Mike, and Jerome . . ."
Jason White reminisces . . .
". . . Someone once told me I should brew my own beer, and for years and years I said I would but never did. And finally, one day, I did. I can say this with all honesty, it's one hobby that I'm never going to give up. If you ever had the notion or thought cross your mind about brewing your own beer, do it and never look back. You won't regret it . . ."
