Kansas Athletics Partners with J. Rieger & Co. on Limited-Edition Rock Chalk Rye Whiskey
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas Athletics, in partnership with J. Rieger & Co., the Kansas City-based distillery originally founded in 1887, will release a limited-edition Rock Chalk Straight Rye Whiskey on March 10, paying homage to the Kansas men’s basketball 1988 NCAA Championship.
“We are excited to partner with such an iconic Kansas City brand in J. Rieger with the launch of Rock Chalk Rye,” said Kansas Deputy Athletics Director Jason Booker. “We are also proud to be partnering with the Jayhawk Buddy System where a portion of the proceeds from Rock Chalk Rye will go directly to fund responsible drinking programs with our campus community. Andy Rieger and his team have been tremendous to collaborate with and truly understand how to capture the traditions of both of our brands while bringing something unique to market for our fans.”
As a nod to the 1988 NCAA KU Men’s Basketball Championship, this limited-edition collectable bottle is 88 proof (44% ABV) and was distilled, aged, and bottled at J. Rieger & Co. The Rock Chalk Straight Rye Whiskey label features the 1912 Jayhawk and an illustrated Allen Fieldhouse, as well as a Championship banner bottle neck hanger showcasing the year of this first annual, limited-edition bottling. The 750 ml bottle has a suggested retail price of $69.99 with approximately 6,000 bottles available at the J. Rieger & Co. distillery and at select Missouri and Kansas retailers.
“My family has a long history with the University of Kansas,” said J. Rieger & Co. Co-Founder and President Andy Rieger. “My mom, a varsity diver, and my grandfather, the quarterback of the 1948 Orange Bowl Team, raised me a Jayhawk. It’s impossible to overstate how excited I am to partner with our friends at KU.”
Rieger & Co. will celebrate the release of Rock Chalk Straight Rye Whiskey on Thursday, March 10th with a Big 12 Tournament watch party in the distillery’s Atrium. Food and drink specials will be available with the games showing on the Atrium’s three 75-inch TVs. Additionally, bottles of Rock Chalk Straight Rye Whiskey and corresponding merchandise—a shirt designed in collaboration with Charlie Hustle and a branded rocks glass—will be available in the J. Rieger & Co. gift shop for guests to purchase. Products will be available while supplies last.
