Kansas City - Circle of Trust
Andy Rieger
Co-Founder and President, J. Rieger & Co.
Historian · Storyteller · Trusted Local Voice
Andy Rieger understands that history shouldn’t be preserved behind glass—it should be brought back to life.
As the great-great-great-grandson of Jacob Rieger, Andy helped revive a family distilling legacy that began in Kansas City in 1887 and disappeared during Prohibition. Working alongside co-founder Ryan Maybee, Andy relaunched J. Rieger & Co. in 2014. Together, they transformed a nearly forgotten local story into a nationally recognized distillery and a gathering place rooted in Kansas City’s identity.
For Epic Explorations, Andy represents the kind of person we want within our Circle of Trust: someone who respects the past, invests in place, thinks creatively, and understands that the most memorable experiences begin with a meaningful story.
Trusted Member of the Epic Explorations Circle of Trust
At Epic Explorations, we recommend people we have come to know, trust, and respect. Andy’s commitment to preserving Kansas City’s history, investing in his community, and creating authentic experiences rooted in place makes him exactly the kind of person we want representing Epic Explorations.
Meet Andy Rieger
Andy Rieger is the co-founder and president of J. Rieger & Co., a landmark American distillery built upon a family legacy stretching back to 1887.
The original company was founded by Jacob Rieger in Kansas City’s West Bottoms and grew into one of the country’s largest mail-order whiskey businesses before Prohibition forced it to close. More than nine decades later, Andy and acclaimed Kansas City bartender Ryan Maybee revived the company with the support and expertise of respected distillers Dave Pickerell and Tom Nichol.
Today, J. Rieger & Co. produces an award-winning collection of whiskey, bourbon, rye, gin, vodka, and Caffè Amaro. Its home in Kansas City’s historic Electric Park District is much more than a production facility. It is a destination where history, architecture, hospitality, food, cocktails, craftsmanship, and community come together. Learn more about the history of J. Rieger & Co.
Andy’s story is one of inheritance in the best sense—not merely receiving a family legacy, but accepting the responsibility to rediscover it, rebuild it, and give it new relevance.
Our guests should experience more than a conventional distillery visit. Through J. Rieger & Co., they will discover the story of an immigrant family, Kansas City’s pre-Prohibition spirits industry, and the remarkable revival of a nearly forgotten legacy. Whether exploring the distillery, learning about production, enjoying a curated tasting, or gathering in one of its distinctive spaces, guests should leave understanding how family, craftsmanship, architecture, hospitality, and neighborhood come together in a story that could only have been reborn in Kansas City.
What Andy Brings to an Epic Explorations Journey
Andy brings a living connection between Kansas City’s past and its present.
His experience can help our guests understand what it takes to recover a lost story and build something relevant from it. He also represents the entrepreneurial energy that has helped Kansas City rediscover its confidence without abandoning its character.
Within an Epic Explorations journey, Andy may bring:
- A personal connection to one of Kansas City’s historic business families
- Insight into reviving a legacy brand after Prohibition
- A deeper understanding of Kansas City’s distilling and cocktail culture
- A behind-the-scenes perspective on entrepreneurship and collaboration
- A strong sense of place rooted in the East Bottoms and Electric Park
- A welcoming environment where history can be experienced rather than merely discussed
He helps turn a distillery visit into a story about family, resilience, reinvention, and community.
What Andy May Help With
Every Epic Explorations journey is individually curated, so Andy’s involvement will depend upon the nature of the experience, his availability, and what will be most meaningful for our guests.
Andy and the J. Rieger & Co. team may help us explore possibilities such as:
- Private or specially arranged distillery experiences
- Curated tastings and introductions to Kansas City-style spirits
- Conversations about the Rieger family legacy and company revival
- Experiences focused on entrepreneurship, craftsmanship, or historic preservation
- Culinary and cocktail components within a broader Kansas City itinerary
- Hosted gatherings, celebrations, or private group events
- Connections to Kansas City’s hospitality, creative, and business communities
His role is not simply to add an attraction to an itinerary. It is to help us create a fuller and more authentic understanding of Kansas City.
Why Andy Is Part of the Circle of Trust
Andy belongs in the Circle of Trust because he embodies the qualities we look for in the people behind our journeys: authenticity, generosity, imagination, expertise, and a deep relationship with place.
He has helped restore more than a family business. Through J. Rieger & Co., he has recovered a piece of Kansas City’s identity and made it accessible to a new generation. He understands that legacy is not about nostalgia alone. It is about taking what came before us and giving it purpose in the present.
Those values align naturally with Epic Explorations. We believe the most resonant journeys introduce our guests to people who are actively shaping the story of a destination. Andy is one of those people.
Andy’s Perspective
Andy’s work suggests a perspective grounded in stewardship: honor the history, understand what made it meaningful, and then have the courage to create something new from it.
The revival of J. Rieger & Co. demonstrates that tradition and innovation do not have to compete. A historic name can inspire modern craftsmanship. An overlooked neighborhood can become a gathering place. A family story interrupted by Prohibition can begin again more than 90 years later.
That perspective gives guests something valuable to consider: What parts of our own history are waiting to be rediscovered, and what responsibility do we have to carry them forward?
What I appreciate most about Andy is that he did not simply inherit a remarkable Kansas City story—he chose to do something meaningful with it.
Reviving J. Rieger & Co. required vision, persistence, collaboration, and the willingness to believe that a forgotten piece of local history still mattered. Andy helped bring that history forward without turning it into a museum piece. He made it alive, relevant, and welcoming.
When I bring guests to a place like J. Rieger & Co., I want them to experience more than the building or the spirits. I want them to understand the layers beneath it: the family, the neighborhood, the interruption of Prohibition, the rediscovery of the name, and the people who believed the story deserved another chapter.
Andy sees Kansas City as more than a location. He understands it as a collection of stories worth remembering and sharing. That is why I trust him, why I value what he has created, and why he belongs in the Epic Explorations Circle of Trust.
Experience Kansas City Through the People Who Know It Best
Andy is one of the trusted voices helping Epic Explorations reveal Kansas City beyond the familiar. Discover the history, craftsmanship, and character behind the city, explore our Kansas City journeys, or start a conversation about experiencing it with us.