OUR TEAM

Andy Rieger ditched spreadsheets for stills in 2014 when he left a career in private equity and investment banking to resurrect his family’s pre-Prohibition distillery. Armed with degrees in math and finance from SMU and a healthy disregard for the safe path, he moved back to Kansas City and poured everything into bringing J. Rieger & Co. back to life.

Since then, he’s helped grow the brand into one of the most recognized names in American craft spirits, all from a historic brick building in the East Bottoms. Along the way, he’s been named a “Next Gen Leader,” a “Power 100” executive, and “Entrepreneur of the Year.” And in 2026, Andy was honored by his industry peers to serve on the Board of Directors of the American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA), where he advocates for legislative policy that benefits all. Still, he’s most proud of being Lucy’s husband, Hogan and Harrison’s dad, and personal assistant to Pepper, their four-legged rescue with VIP status at the distillery.

Andy believes whiskey should be bold, brands should be authentic, and every great company should have a dog.

Before co-founding J. Rieger & Co., Ryan Maybee was already a legend behind the bar. A Certified Sommelier and Bar Master (yes, that’s a real title), he’s spent decades obsessing over spirits, cocktails, and the kind of hospitality that turns strangers into regulars.

Named Bartender of the Year by IMBIBE Magazine and featured everywhere from Esquire to Vogue, Ryan’s creations have shaken their way into cocktail history. He’s competed on global stages, launched the Paris of the Plains Cocktail Festival, and helped shape Kansas City’s cocktail culture.

In 2014, he teamed up with Andy Rieger to resurrect the distillery from its century-long slumber. Today, Ryan works closely with our distilling team, guides product innovation, and brings our rich history to life, one story, one sip, and one curious visitor at a time.

Nathan Perry didn’t grow up thinking he’d make whiskey for a living, but once he discovered the science behind fermentation, there was no turning back. After earning a Biology degree from UMKC and spending five years as a microbiologist in the brewing world, he brought his lab coat and love of yeast to the next logical frontier: distillation.

He joined J. Rieger & Co. in 2015, trained under whiskey legend Dave Pickerell and gin icon Tom Nichol, and never looked back. In 2022, he was officially named a Master Distiller by the Gin Guild in London, a fancy way of saying he knows what he’s doing.

Today, Nathan leads our production team with a steady hand and scientific curiosity, turning raw ingredients into award-winning spirits that taste as good as they are technically