By Jacob Mathias

Beer and yoga seem like an unusual pairing.

Events combining the ancient, meditative stretching-style exercise and cold suds have grown popular around the country since their emergence on social media in recent years. The O’so Brewing Company has played host to four beer and yoga events since April and expects to continue monthly.

The most recent beer and yoga event was held outside the O’so Brewing Taphouse on Sept. 9.

“It’s supposed to be unorthodox, but my idea is just bringing the two different types of people together — people who are just here for beer and people who are just here for yoga,” said yoga instructor Renee Kinney, who teaches under the name Renee Cathryn. “Wives will get their husbands to show up if they know they’re getting a beer afterwards.”

Beer and yoga begins with Kinney’s 60-minute class and is open to all takers with any level of yoga experience. A beer, included in the $11 ticket price, is served inside the taphouse after the class.

O’so owner Marc Buttera said the yoga events have brought a new segment of customers to the taphouse as well.

“I had seen other breweries in the nation doing it, and we thought, ‘Hey, that’s pretty cool,'” said Buttera. “Maybe if people haven’t been to the taphouse and they like yoga, they discover the taphouse too and discover our beers.”

Buttera said he plans to continue beer and yoga classes when the brewery opens its new facility in Stevens Point in Nov. 2018.

“Hopefully they’ll get bigger,” he said.

Beer and Yoga returns to O’so Brewing Company on Oct. 14 at 11 AM, when the yoga will be performed inside the brewery itself. Tickets are $11 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

O’so Brewing is located at 3028 Village Park Dr. in Plover.