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Innspiration for your Super Bowl Party

January 24th, 2011 by Pat Fischbeck

If you need a bit of inspiration for your Super Bowl Party, the innkeepers at the Speckled Hen Inn in Madison Wisconsin have a couple of suggestions for you.  Since Packer fans have a weekend off from watching football this weekend why not head to Madison to check out the Isthmus Beer and Cheese Fest.

Sample some of Wisconsin’s finest craft beers and specialty cheeses and decide which ones you will want to serve at your Packer’s party on Super Bowl Sunday.  There are even a couple of special sessions at the event that you won’t want to miss but need to sign up for early.  At 1:30 the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board will pair wonderful Wisconsin cheeses with the brews from Potosi Brewery.  That’s the great western Winconsin brewery that is also home to the Beer Museum.  At 3:00 there is a session on pairing beer with chocolate.  It even gets better.  The pairing is between Gail Ambrosius Chocolates (our local favorite) and the crazy craft brews from Furthermore Brewery.  (I’ve done this before and you have to try it to even imagine how good it is!)

If your entertainment plan is a bit more upscale head out to Wollersheim Winery in Prairie Du Sac for the party to celebrate the release of their 2009 vintage ports.  This year they will be adding a 2009 vintage White Port to their offerings and you can sample and celebrate any time between 10 and 4 on Saturday.  Enjoy a bit of live jazz and pair your port sample with a Combinacas Plate featuring Wisconsin-made Asiago cheese, a chocolate truffle, fresh bread, and dried apricots and almonds.  You will want to take home a bottle of Wisconsin Port or wine to toast the success of the Packers anyway.  Sampling is one sure way to find the wine that pleases you.

We still have rooms available on Friday night so that you can have a romantic getaway at The Speckled Hen Inn.  Enjoy our great breakfast and then head out to sample some of Wisconsin’s finest.

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Photo of Downtown Madison Wisconsin

April 21st, 2010 by Pat Fischbeck

The Twins

Downtown Madison is one of the prettiest, most romantic, places a person will ever see.  The lighted capitol dome pictured here ,is like the centerpiece of a bountiful banquet table.

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Madison…Bicycle City

April 1st, 2010 by Pat Fischbeck

   Unusually warm spring weather here in south-central Wisconsin has allowed bicycling enthusiasts to hit the trails early.  Our guests this week at the Speckled Hen Inn Bed and Breakfast rented bicycles from Machinery Row Bikes in Madison and had a great time exploring the city by bike.  They were fitted with Trek 7200 hybrid bikes.  Bike rental is only $20/ day or $60/ week and that includes bike lock and helmet too.  Madison has miles of great bike paths and also is close to a couple of the state bike trails.  So, bring your own bike or rent one here.  Have fun exploring and then return to the Inn to soak those muscles in one of jetted tubs.

Guests on bikes at the Speckled Hen Inn

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Can you use 'blonde' & 'chub' in the same sentence and still be PC?

February 25th, 2010 by Pat Fischbeck

You can if you have attended Capital Brewery’s Bockfest.  Guests at our Madison WI Bed and Breakfast will be chatting Sunday morning about the wonderful time they had at this annual event.

First let me explain about the ‘Blonde” and the ‘Chub’.  Bockfest celebrates the release of Capital Brewery’s Blonde Dopplebock beer.  The ‘chub’ part comes into play mid-afternoon when Kirby gets up on the roof of the brewery and flings smoked chubs into the crowd.  Smoked chubs are delicious smoked 6″ or so fish that are dearly loved by all those who have been fortunate enought to taste one.  Why does Kirby throw fish from the roof?  You will have to go to a Bockfest and ask.  I think that he does it because it is just plain outrageous fun and that is what Bockfest is all about.

Other events during the day include the 1K Running of the Blondes, live music, a costume contest, and of course, brewery tours and much drinking of the Dopplebock.

The 13th Annual Bockfest is this Saturday, February 27th from 11AM until 5PM at Capital Brewery in Middleton, Wisconsin.  Bockfest is always held the last Saturday in February so if you have to miss it this time, you can mark your calendar for next year.

Cheers!

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Madison WI Winter Festival this weekend

February 17th, 2010 by Pat Fischbeck

 

Madison WI will be celebrating winter at Madison Winter Fest this weekend on the capitol square in downtown Madison.  Events begin on Friday and continue through Sunday.  There are all kinds of things to get involved in as a participant or a spectator.  Watch ice carving and snow sculpting.  It is not the olympics but there will be running and racing and snowboarding and tubing and shoeing and xc skiing and just a grand winter fun time.  If you get chilled you can pop into the Wisconsin State Historical Society Museum on the Capitol Squate for a viewing of their Odd Wisconsin display.

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