A Floating History of the Beer Barons
More on the Map | Fully Arranged Short Escapes
WILD
Lake Geneva, WI | July 18 - 19 2026
A 1963 lake resort, a cruise through Chicago brewing history, and a beer tasting inside a mansion still reached by boat.
Geneva Lake became a summer colony for wealthy Chicagoans in the late nineteenth century, and the men who made fortunes brewing the city’s beer built some of its most substantial houses. One of the baroniest of barons, Conrad Seipp, had Black Point: a 20-room Queen Anne cottage (it is not a cottage) completed in 1888. No road or utilities reached the property when it was built; the family and its guests arrived across the lake.
This Saturday, the old route still applies.
As always, your stay, meal and local experience are booked for you in a tap.
Amazing vintage illustration via Cruise Lake Geneva
The Abbey opened on Geneva Lake in 1963, built around an 80-foot timber A-frame chosen from 123 competing designs. Its steep roof was meant to recall the great chalets of Europe; the name came from the old European abbeys known for taking in travelers.
More than 60 summers later, that enormous roof still rises above the boats and broad lawns at the western end of the lake. You’ll have a king suite with a view of the harbor.
You have pre-paid reservations on Sat. July 18. Just arrive.
Photo via The Abbey
Conrad Seipp began brewing in Chicago in 1854 and became one of the country’s leading beer magnates (which we didn’t realize was a type of magnate).
In 1887, he began work on Black Point as a summer house for his family, and seven generations of Seipps continued to use the property, leaving its rooms and furnishings unusually intact.
Saturday’s Beer Barons Cruise is real, substantial history: the first leg is a narrated passage along the shoreline; then you’ll jaunt over to Black Point for a tour of the estate and gardens. And of course you’ve got to taste a selection of regional beers with snacks.
There are stairs involved here, be advised (roughly 100), but so worth the climb.
Your boat heads out on Saturday at 12:30pm.
Photo via Cruise Lake Geneva
Let’s keep the mansion theme going here.
Sunday brunch is at Baker House, a Queen Anne mansion built in 1885 by Emily Baker as a summer residence for herself and her five children.
Its original name was Redwood Cottage, after the California redwood shingles covering the exterior; seven different patterns were cut into them, alongside stained glass, inlaid floors and 13 carved fireplace mantels inside.
Brunch is buffet style, there’s live music, it’s good.
Brunch is at 11:15 am. $125 food and drink credit for two travelers; $75 for one traveler, inclusive of tax and tip.
Photo via Baker House
All arranged, no planning anxiety. Just go.
So how does this work?
No payment is needed just yet. Send us your request, and we’ll make sure the weekend is ready on our end. Then we’ll email you a secure payment link. Once you’re booked, we’ll share the key details: check-in, addresses, timing and reservation notes.
For now, just let us know you’d like us to get going.
Images in our stories may be sourced from publicly available materials, and are used to represent places as they exist. All rights remain with their respective owners.
