Rieger's Gin Tasting

I recently attended a gin tasting at the newly opened Tongue-Cut Sparrow. Master distiller, Tom Nichol, was in attendance to speak about his latest venture with J. Rieger & Co. Known for his 40 plus year career with Diageo making Tanqueray gin, Nichol was lured out of retirement to make this very special gin.

Based out of Kansas City, MO, J. Rieger & Co, has been making whiskey and gin for the past two years, but this month marks its first appearance in Texas. J. Rieger & Co. is the brainchild of Kansas City bartender/restauranteur Ryan Maybee and Andy Rieger, relative of pre-Prohibition distiller Jacob Rieger. Together they sought out to resurrect the distillery and produce a London-Style Dry Gin.

Ryan Maybee (left) and Andy Rieger (right)

Tasty gin seminar

Upon arrival at the tasting, Andy and Ryan introduced themselves and then pointed to a gentleman at the bar and said “This is Tom Nichol.” Unbeknownst to me, I was standing in front of a legend. Knowing that many industry folks attend these tastings I naively asked, “Tom, what do you do?” To which he replied, “I make gin – that gin (pointing to the J. Riger bottle on the bar).” Ooops, my bad!

Lucky for me, Tom Nichol is a cool guy. He was very interesting to speak with and even took the time to pose for a selfie. The rest of the evening involved discussion on the J. Riger & Co. products and the art of gin making, which included lots of colorful commentary by Nichol.

J. Rieger Gin, Whiskey, and Amaro

Gin Martini

Nichol was intrigued by the opportunity to partner with Maybee and Rieger. The ability to make gin in a smaller scale, more relaxed environment was something that peaked his interest. The Midwestern Gin is a classic London-Style Dry Gin. According to Nichol, the key to making good gin is getting the botanicals right. This formula includes the best juniper, coriander, angelica root, licorice root, and orange peel available. Nichol says he can tell just by the nose if the batch is ready or not.

The taste is exceptional. It’s crisp and clean - perfect for sipping on its own or in a Gin Martini. Rieger’s Midwestern Dry Gin is currently available exclusively through Victory Wine Group. Ask for it at your local liquor store. You won’t be disappointed.

Tom Nichol posing for a selfie.