Mifflin St.

Sorry for the long hiatus from blog updating. The end of the semester has been a busy one. As you can see, last Saturday was the Mifflin St. block party where they estimate 20 - 25 thousand people descend upon our little street for one last end of the year hurrah. A few beverages are consumed, and a great time is had by all. Uhhh, maybe not all. This year was quite a Mifflin St. party for me. I actually didn't have a drop of alcohol on this day. I know what you are all thinking. "Jason, you are such a responsible boy. It's good to see you can have a fun time without feeling the need to drink." I actually started to celebrate on Mifflin Eve. To make a long story short, I let my youthful exuberance get the best of me, and I spent some time with my dear friend the trash can that night. Thus, the next day my stomach and head weren't ready for the hair of the dog. So I made a quick lap down the street to take in the atmosphere and returned to our humble abode for some brats on the grill. Finals start this week, and my first one is actually on Sunday. After that I plan on staying here in Madison to work in the lab I've been in this year, plus get a second job. I've applied for a phlebotomist position at Meriter Hospital a few blocks down the road. It's from 4:30-8:30 am, so it should be an interesting time. Other than that I don't have much more to say. Except to say that my latest blog update request came from my favorite cousins. Jill, Beth, and Sara have requested my next beer review be of Smithwick Irish Ale. I'm fairly sure this is the correct one. It's an Irish Ale made by Guinness. It seems to be a cult favorite of those who have tried it. I've actually already tracked it down at the Brocach Irish Pub on the capital square. My incredible detective skills revealed that the the picture on the home page shows that the tap to the far right is Smithwicks. From now on, I encourage active participation by my blog readers, and additional suggestions for beer tastings are also welcome, especially if you're buying.

Beer and Cupcake pairing part two

Last time I reviewed the delicious pairing of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer with a chocolate cupcake. I've decided to continue the opposites attract theory. This week we have a dark German wheat beer Erdinger Hefe-Weizen Dunkel paired with Betty Crocker funfetti cupcakes and vanilla frosting. I actually had most of the sprinkles removed from the batter before mixing, using a noodle strainer as a sieve. I felt that the sprinkles would cheapen the high quality beer in the pairing. Overall, this pairing didn't speak to me as much as the previous one. I think the beer was great, but it was a very smooth mellow flavorful beer. While on the other hand, the cupcake was overpoweringly sweet, even without a majority of the sprinkles. So the sugar rush from the cupcake ruined the savory flavors of the beer. I would think that this beer would also be nice with a chocolate cupcake. Thus, from this experiment we can conclude that it is not scientific law that the cupcake and beer must be opposite in color. Check back later for more beer and cupcake pairing advice.

Oh Germany, why must you tease me?

This picture may explain why Germany is the most influential European country. Although I don't remember all of the beer maids looking like this though. Yet, it's not a bad promotional tool. I hope that we make it back across the Atlantic in the next couple of years. I think I'm in withdrawal. I'll just have to make-do with the Rathskeller and La Crosse's Oktoberfest. (The make-do in the previous sentence is grammatically correct, feeling some doubt I confirmed it on Webster's.)
Jennifer and I are currently in the 3rd semester of German here at UW. So it will be exciting to get back over there since we've never been there with any knowledge of German. Here's another German staple of Madison, Bavaria Sausage Inc. Check it out if you're ever in town. Finally a little shout out to all you Krauts across the pond. Fesi, wir brauchen dich, kommen dieser Sommer. Bitte. Bringen Sie Freunde auch. Bis bald.

Ahh Springtime

Well you can definitely tell it's springtime. Love is in the air. This newlywed couple of mallard ducks is on their honeymoon in our courtyard fountain. I bet we have a flock full of little ducklings paddling around in there in no time. It's been an eventful week here in Madison. The current issue of Playboy out on shelves last Friday features UW as the #1 party school. Both the guys' and girls' hockey teams are national champions. And the immigration rallies were in full swing here today. Everything is so exciting and it's only Monday. What does the rest of the week have in store? Whatever it is I'm hoping it includes more of the sunny and 70 weather, and maybe another batch of delicious cupcakes. 

The TPyramid

We're quite the toiletries architects. Jennifer made a trip home this weekend, so we were reloaded with provisions. I held down the fort here in Madison. I did a little studying and a lot of sleeping. With temperatures in the 60s, spring is definitely here. It'll be nice to walk to class without the jacket. Only 1 more midterm for me until the wind down to finals. The end of the year also means something else around here. Mifflin block party, and since Jennifer and I are currently living at the start of Mifflin St., this end of the year should prove quite interesting. Don't worry I promise to have a cold one for all of you out there.