Do you love bratwurst? Do you regularly dream up new combinations of tantalizing toppings for your sausages? Are you prepared to share your culinary wizardry with the world?
It’s time to get creative and test out your creative brat-making prowess with the Johnsonville “Top Your Brat” contest for a chance to win a year’s supply of sausage and get your creative brat featured as an official Summerfest menu item in 2024.
Here’s what you need to do to enter.
- Design your ultimate bratwurst creation. Concepts must feature a maximum of three toppings as well as the type of bun or handheld vessel (brat bun, na’an, lettuce).
- Choose a name for your creation.
- Share your creation (name, bun and toppings) on Instagram or Twitter using #JohnsonvilleTopYourBrat. Participants can submit their entries as a reply to Johnsonville’s social media posts about the contest or as an independent post.
- Photos of bratwurst creations are not required, but definitely welcome.
All submissions must be posted to Instagram or Twitter by June 12, 2023.
From there, a team from the Johnsonville kitchens will choose three finalists from among the entries using the following criteria:
- Originality/creativity (25%)
- Taste (25%)
- Visual representation (20%)
- Ease of consuming/enjoying while walking around at Summerfest (15%)
- Title /name of recipe/sandwich (15%)
Live taste-testing at Summerfest
The three top sausages will be recreated and taste-tested LIVE on Thursday, June 22 at 12:15 p.m. in the Johnsonville Summerville area near the North Gate at Summerfest.
The official Brattender judges will include OnMilwaukee Dining Editor Lori Fredrich (that's me!), Amy Hanten of the "The Cooking Mom" blog, Vince Vitrano of 620 WTMJ, Bill Walsh of CBS58 and Johnsonville owner and “Sausage King,” Ralph Stayer.
The grand prize winner will receive free sausage for a year and their creation will be included on the Summerfest 2024 Johnsonville menu. Each of the three finalists will also receive free sausage for a year, plus Johnsonville merchandise.
Who will be the wiener? You'll have to attend to find out! All Summerfest guests are welcome to join in on the fun. Johnsonville will be hosting a full Brat Bar for Summerfest attendees to sample.
No purchase is necessary. All entries must submitted by June 12, 2023. See the official rules for all entry requirements: johnsonville.com/news
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
