This Limited-Edition Whiskey Collection Is Historic, Delicious, and Surprisingly Affordable

On February 21, Kansas City, Missouri-based J.Rieger & Co. is releasing a rare new whiskey collection that celebrates Black baseball history. The quartet features four different styles of whiskey, representing cities where Negro Leagues teams played in the first half of the 20th century. 

Until Jackie Robinson stepped onto Ebbets Field for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, Major League Baseball (MLB) unofficially banned Black people from competition. Before then, African Americans played organized baseball in the Negro National League (NNL), which was founded in 1920 by Andrew “Rube” Foster, player, manager, and owner of the Chicago American Giants. Black baseball players competed for the NNL pennant until 1948, when the league shut down.

Yet the story lives on at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) in Kansas City, MO, which partnered with J. Rieger & Co. to launch the Fielder’s Choice Collection. 

Made up of four unique whiskeys, each expression pays homage to an iconic Negro Leagues team. There’s a whiskey finished in Kansas City beer barrels, a Missouri-made bourbon, a Cracker Jacks-inspired light whiskey, and a Pennsylvania rye. Arriving in a custom-designed box set, a portion of all sales from this collaboration release will benefit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

“The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum would like to toast our friends at J. Rieger for partnering with us to celebrate the winning spirit of the Negro Leagues with this amazing commemorative collection of spirits and we look forward to the exciting launch,” says Bob Kendrick, NLBM President.

“The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is an icon of Kansas City and we are beyond honored to be partnering with our friends there on this collection of spirits,” says Andy Rieger, co-founder of J. Rieger & Co. “We want to see the museum continue to flourish, preserving the incredible legacy of Negro Leagues baseball, for generations to come.”

Kansas City Monarchs

Kansas City Whiskey finished in KC Bier Co. Barrels, 47% ABV

To celebrate their hometown team, the Kansas City Monarchs, J. Rieger & Co aged its Kansas City Whiskey in KC Bier Co. barrels. The longest-running franchise in Negro Leagues history, the team won a record twelve league titles and two Negro League World Series Championships. The beer casks give the whiskey a uniquely malty character.

St. Louis Stars 

Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 47.5% ABV

J. Rieger & Co.’s first small-batch, Missouri-made bourbon commemorates the St. Louis Stars, who won three league titles between 1928 to 1931. A blend of two hand-picked barrels, this bourbon is made from a mash bill featuring corn, rye, and malted barley. It offers a rich, malty, and buttery character.

Chicago American Giants

Light Whiskey, 50% ABV

Made from 100 percent corn, this is the first time J. Rieger & Co. has released a “light whiskey” as a standalone expression. It honors the Chicago American Giants, who dominated Black baseball in the early 1900s, as they earned seven league titles and won the 1926 and 1927 Negro World Series. The Light Whiskey tastes like Cracker Jacks, a quintessential baseball treat, which also hails from Chicago.

Homestead Grays 

Small Batch Straight Rye Whiskey, 50% ABV

J. Rieger & Co. commemorates Pittsburgh’s Homestead Grays through a rye, a fitting tribute to a team from the birthplace of rye whiskey: Pennsylvania. The Homestead Grays won 10 league titles and three Negro World Series Champions in 1943, 1944, and 1948. This limited-edition rye celebrates the 50 years the team played in Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. The well-balanced whiskey features spicy aromas followed by a rich, well-balanced palate.

The whiskey can be pre-ordered until February 21 and is available via the distillery’s website.

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