Prologue holds Charles City whiskey tasting event

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

It was a dark and stormy night, but not stormy enough to keep people from enjoying a special event at Prologue Books and Wine.

The Main Street book store shifted its focus from wine to whiskey on Friday, March 14, with its first Whiskey and Words event, hosted by Hunter and Katherine Ortmayer.

“I think it went very well,” said Hunter Ortmayer.

Looking to branch out from wine, Prologue owner Darci Tracey has been working with the Ortmayers for about nine months to set up this special tasting session.

Eager to share their fondness for whiskey, the Ortmayers brought a selection of bottles of various prices and rarities, explaining the flavor profile and history of each spirit as participants paired their samples with a variety of snacks.

This is the first time that the Ortmayers have done anything like this, but the positive reception has them hopeful about doing more whiskey tasting events.

“This was fun,” said Tracey. “I learned so much.”

In between drinks, Tracey showcased a book she paired with each bottle. From western adventures to historical non-fiction, Tracey found a book that tied into the different whiskies for patrons to check out.

“I just started searching for books with whiskey,” said Tracey. “It was a rabbit hole from there.”