Kansas City’s J. Rieger & Co. is a popular destination for locals and out-of-towners alike. Its historical roots, high quality finishes and top tier whiskey certainly make it a memorable location for date nights, celebrations or hangouts with the friend group.
A setting in a psychological thriller novel, though, was certainly never on the Bingo card until Brian Freeman, author of the highly acclaimed Bourne series, stepped inside for a tour in 2024.
After spending hours on site with owner Andy Rieger, Freeman was convinced the distillery would appear in a scene of his latest release The Bourne Revenge.
“He was so blown away when I was showing him around our campus that he didn't want to leave,” Rieger said. “I think they ended up skipping their dinner reservation that night because he just wanted to stay there, drink and absorb it all.”
“I was joking with Andy and told him, ‘This would be a great place to kill somebody’,” Freeman recalled. “I loved the drama of the setting, and when I'm scoping out sites for books, that's exactly the kind of place I look for. It's got really interesting, creative and unique dynamics to it.”
As Freeman’s eighth Bourne novel, he was keen on bringing Jason Bourne back to the United States after using international settings in his previous novels. Kansas City makes several appearances in The Bourne Revenge with J. Rieger as the main setting in chapter 16. As he read the manuscript, Rieger’s jaw hit the floor. The chapter includes specific, recognizable details of the distillery including the 1887 hat, Monogram whiskey and the crowd favorite slide.
“This is the first time in the Bourne novel series that Brian Freeman has used real places, not something fictitious,” Rieger said. “Without owing Kansas City anything, someone on an international pop culture pedestal wants to show you something of really high quality here.”
Freeman’s second visit to Kansas City was also a memorable occasion–this time to promote the book’s official release. Rieger hosted an event at the distillery in January to give the city a chance to celebrate alongside Freeman, a different environment than the typical bookstore or library book event that he is accustomed to.
“If I can do an event with a glass of whiskey in my hand, this is a good thing,” Freeman added. “I loved the enthusiasm that so many people had for the book, for the event and for having the city at the heart of the key scenes in the book.”
The esteem Rieger has for Freeman is returned with great respect and admiration. After only one visit, Freeman was moved enough by what he experienced to put his pen to paper. After two, he was convinced of the culture J. Rieger & Co. sets for Kansas City as a whole.
“I love Andy. He's looking at every opportunity through the lens of ‘How can I do something fun and creative with this? How can I bring something back to the distillery and to the city’?” Freeman said. “I think that's exactly the kind of attitude that is at the core of making a city great–when you have people like that who are so committed to the individual quality of what they're doing, but also how that fits into the bigger picture of how the city thrives.”
Regardless of who you are or where you come from, Freeman’s guest experience is the kind anyone can expect. Rieger’s commitment to excellence–from the time he bought the building to how he has built a brand–is what keeps J. Rieger & Co. a top shelf example for distilleries around the country, including those out of Kentucky.
“It has to truly just be about doing what is right at all times,” he said. “The head of city planning told me that I needed to stop being an owner and become a steward. The mentality of a steward will finish the building. That's the element of what Kansas City needs more than anything–to push businesses to be high quality.”
A high-quality mentality even led the way in Rieger’s selection of which bookseller would help to launch and carry The Bourne Revenge. He called on Rainy Day Books in Fairway, Kansas, because of their shared commitment to a high-quality experience after 50 years of serving Kansas City. General Manager Annie Krieg says it is a natural partnership.
“Both Rainy Day Books and J. Rieger & Co. are experienced in hosting people from outside of our city and showing them what makes Kansas City special,” she said. “We're both proud to bring unique and exciting experiences to this community.
“We incorporated Rainy Day Books, because they are a good quality, locally owned bookstore,” Rieger said. “It is a high quality, well-perceived brand throughout Kansas City, and they also happen to be local–in that order. That's what keeps our community best.”
Signed copies of The Bourne Revenge are available in the gift shop at J. Rieger & Co. and at Rainy Day Books in Fairway, Kansas.
"This is what [Freeman] felt was worthy of the first real place, not something fictitious."
"I loved the enthusiasm that so many people had for the book, for the event and for having the city at the heart of the key scenes in the book."