J. Rieger & Co. Launches "The Road To Jerez" Bartender Competition Celebrating Innovation, Heritage, And Creativity

– Grand Prize winner will tour Spain with Master Distiller Nathan Perry, sherry expert Steve Olson & Co-founders Andy Rieger and Ryan Maybee to explore the essence of KC Whiskey –

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Kansas City, MO (December 17, 2025) – J. Rieger & Co., an independent American distillery dating back to 1887, is proud to announce The Road to Jerez, a nationwide competition inviting bartenders to showcase their creativity with Rieger Kansas City Whiskey – an award-winning spirit uniquely finished with 15-year oloroso sherry from Williams & Humbert. The competition culminates in a Grand Prize trip to Jerez, Spain, where the winner will explore the tradition of sherry production behind Rieger Kansas City Whiskey.

Born in the heyday of Kansas City's booming rail and industrial age, J. Rieger & Co. grew into one of America's most prolific whiskey producers – celebrated nationwide as the "Largest Mail-Order Whiskey House in the U.S." until Prohibition shut down operations. After lying dormant for more than 90 years, the brand was revived in 2014 by Andy Rieger, the great-great-great grandson of the original founder, together with renowned bartender and cocktail historian, Ryan Maybee. Championed by sherry expert Steve Olson and the late Master Distiller Dave Pickerell, J. Rieger & Co. became the first modern American producer to resurrect the long-lost practice of blending a touch of sherry into American whiskey – a style now officially categorized as KC Whiskey.

"The Road to Jerez is about bringing history to life while giving bartenders a modern canvas for creativity," Maybee said. "That magic ingredient, the 15-year Oloroso sherry that drives the depth and character of Kansas City Whiskey, proudly honors our heritage and the centuries-old connection between American whiskey and the sherry houses of Jerez. We've had incredible mentors and this competition is our way of giving back – encouraging imagination, storytelling, and cocktails that celebrate this great era in American spirits."

Rieger's Road to Jerez Competition coincides with the 250th Anniversary of the United States and draws on a storied past. The bond between American whiskey and the sherry houses of southern Spain dates back to the 18th Century, when Spanish ships leaving Cádiz carried massive 500-liter sherry casks, or botas, to the Americas, to be traded upon arrival. By the mid-1800s, sherry had become one of the most widely consumed beverages in the United States—featured in popular cocktails such as the sherry Cobbler and blended into American whiskeys—helping to forge a lasting transatlantic bar tradition.

Rieger Kansas City Whiskey is made from a blend of Straight Bourbon, Straight Rye, and Light Corn Whiskey aged 5–8 years and finished with a touch of 15-year Oloroso sherry. Sherry also plays a prominent role in Rieger's very rare Monogram Solera—the distillery's most limited annual release aged in 50–100-year-old original sherry botas sourced from the William & Humbert bodega. The only whiskey in the U.S. made in a living solera system (modeled after the sherry system of fractional blending), Rieger's Monogram Solera is an original and highly complex whiskey with remarkable depth, balance, and complexity.

HOW TO ENTER THE ROAD TO JEREZ COMPETITION

• Visit the official Road to Jerez competition site for details. Regional Semi-Finals will take place in Los Angeles, CA; Chicago, IL; Kansas City, MO; Orlando, FL; and Washington, DC, and bartenders may apply to compete in any regional location regardless of where they live.

• The Final Round will unfold on the global stage at Bar Convent Brooklyn 2026, one of the most influential and prestigious spirits trade shows in the world, putting finalists in front of top industry leaders, innovators, and tastemakers.

• All finalists will participate in a Distillery Immersion at the J. Rieger & Co. distillery in Kansas City, where they will learn about the brand's history, production methods, and sherry-finishing techniques.

• The Grand Prize winner will travel to Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, for an exclusive tour of the legendary Williams & Humbert Bodega with Ryan Maybee, Andy Rieger, Master Distiller Nathan Perry and sherry expert Steve Olson, witnessing firsthand the solera and criadera system that has shaped Sherry for centuries.

For more information, including interview requests, please contact Lauren Wire or Elizabeth Stout at Gregory + Vine.

About J. Rieger & Co.

Founded by Jacob Rieger in 1887, Kansas City-based J. Rieger & Co. was once the largest mail order whiskey house in the country before Prohibition shut down operations. In 2014, Andy Rieger, the great-great-great grandson of Jacob Rieger, and renowned bartender, Ryan Maybee, relaunched the distillery as part of a new golden era in American spirits backed by industry legends and Master Distillers, Dave Pickerell and Tom Nichol. Today we deliver award-winning products, innovative cocktails, and memorable experiences to guests at our landmark facility in Kansas City's Electric Park District. From rare releases to everyday favorites, our range includes Rieger Kansas City Whiskey, Straight Bourbon, Straight Rye, Monogram Solera Reserva, Midwestern Dry Gin and Caffè Amaro, proudly served across the country and around the world.