December 17, 2019 (Kansas City, MO) – Kansas City distillery J. Rieger & Co. and the MLS soccer stars at Sporting Kansas City are joining forces to celebrate their “love of the city.” As of December 2019, the two hometown favorites have an exciting new partnership in play encompassing specialty bottlings, cocktails and events at the J. Rieger & Co. distillery, Children’s Mercy Park and other local venues. Scheduled to debut with the 2020 Sporting season, Rieger’s products will be served at Children’s Mercy Park during matches and at private events in the suite levels, Shield Club and additional concession locations at the stadium.

To show their spirit, J. Rieger & Co. is throwing their full support behind Sporting, now known as the “Official Sports Team of J. Rieger & Co.” In return, Sporting has named them “the Preferred Distillery of Sporting Kansas City.”

“We’re so proud to support Sporting and their amazing fan base,” says Andy Rieger, President & Co-Founder of J. Rieger & Co. “This is a true partnership that goes beyond traditional sports marketing and is all about responding to the energy and excitement our Kansas City fans have come to expect from J. Rieger & Co. and Sporting.”

“Sporting is thrilled to partner with great local businesses that showcase everything we love about Kansas City,” says Jake Reid, President and CEO of Sporting KC. “The team at J. Rieger & Co. is taking our spirits program to a whole new level with creative cocktail and drink experiences that we look forward to showcasing throughout Children’s Mercy Park.”

Observant fans of J. Rieger & Co. and Sporting Kansas City were recently treated to a special appearance by team captain Matt Besler in an ode to the traditional “yule log.” The video showcases Besler by the fireplace at The Hey! Hey! Club at the Rieger distillery. View the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7u_iYunAFY&feature=youtu.be

Season Ticket Members of Sporting Kansas City are invited to a season kickoff event at the distillery on February 19. Additional details will be announced at a later date.

About J. Rieger & Co.
Jacob Rieger & Company was originally founded in 1887 in Kansas City’s West Bottoms Livestock Exchange district. The distillery produced over 100 alcoholic products on a national basis, including the iconic Monogram Whiskey, but it was forced to close in 1919 with the advent of Prohibition. In 2014, 95 years after Prohibition, the brand was relaunched by business partners Ryan Maybee, creator of Manifesto and co-founder of The Rieger, and Andy Rieger, the great-great-great-grandson of Jacob Rieger. The current distillery is located in the historic Electric Park district within the East Bottoms of Kansas City. The core spirit product line includes Kansas City Whiskey, Midwestern Dry Gin, Caffè Amaro, and Premium Wheat Vodka. For more information, visit www.JRiegerCo.com.

About Sporting Kansas City
Sporting Kansas City is owned by Sporting Club, an entity founded by a group of local business and community leaders comprised of the Patterson Family, Cliff Illig, Pat Curran, Greg Maday and Robb Heineman. Sporting prides itself on a commitment and vision to provide high-performance experiences. Sporting Club purchased the team from the Hunt Sports Group in 2006, and under its direction has opened Swope Soccer Village, Children’s Mercy Park, Wyandotte Sporting Fields and Pinnacle while investing in the Sporting KC Academy and Sporting KC II for developing local youth into homegrown talent. A charter member of Major League Soccer, Sporting are two-time MLS Cup champions (2000, 2013) and four-time winners of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (2004, 2012, 2015, 2017).

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