Registration opens:
June 01st, 2026 at 9:00am

The Drink that Shaped America

US 250

Explore the drink that helped to shape America.

Space is limited and registration is required. 21+ 

An exploration of the drink that helped to shape America to celebrate our 250th year. Madeira is a fortified wine from the Portuguese island of Madeira which was a popular indulgence in the early colonial days, but also served as a symbol of status, a staple of transatlantic trade, and the choice drink among Founding Fathers George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. It has a large range of flavor profiles from dry and crisp to sweet with notes of honey and caramel. We will be tasting five Madeiras from the Rare Wine Co. Historic Series, which offers a bottle for each of the more prominent styles enjoyed in the Americas. In this tasting we will pair each pour with a small bite.

About the Instructor:

Janice Keeley is the owner of Arome. She is a gourmet food enthusiast who grew up on a small family farm in the heart of the Willamette Valley. She developed her love of gardening and cooking at an early age on the farm, but started her career and spent about 10 years as a civil engineer after attending Oregon State University. In 2016, she pivoted and pursued her dream of bringing unique and high quality gourmet foods and kitchen wares to Hood River, Oregon and opened the first location of Arome in early 2017. Janice loves the unique knowledge the every customer brings to the store and enjoys learning about each person's flavor preferences, travels and journey in cooking.

Questions? Contact lizg@deschuteslibrary.org