Nov 5
Rum and Coffee with Jordan B. Smith '10
Carls in the Philadelphia area
are invited to Rum and Coffee
with Jordan Smith '10
Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Time:
Ticketed reception: 5:30 p.m.
Program: 6:30 p.m.
Location:
The Library Company of Philadelphia
1314 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107 US
Cost: The 5:30 p.m. reception is $25 but the 6:30 p.m. program is free.
Join us for an evening of rum, coffee, and convivial conversation with Jordan B. Smith, author of The Invention of Rum: Creating the Quintessential Atlantic Commodity and Michelle Craig McDonald, author of Coffee Nation: How One Commodity Transformed the Early United States to learn more about how these beverages went from rare and exotic to ubiquitous and everyday—and how each affected the economies and even politics of the United States in the era of revolutions.
The talk is free and open to the public. In addition, at a reception beforehand, Library Company shareholders and ticket-purchasers may join the authors for a rum tasting, espresso martinis, and rum- or coffee-flavored dessert treats.
Jordan B. Smith '10 is an associate professor of history at Widener University, where he teaches courses on early America, the Atlantic world, and public history. A graduate of Carleton College and Georgetown University, he is the author of The Invention of Rum: Creating the Quintessential Atlantic Commodity (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2025). Jordan and his family live in South Philadelphia.
For additional information and to purchase reception tickets, visit The Library Company of Philadelphia website.