A Century Later, Two Prohibition-Era KC Companies Come Back

One hundred years ago this week alcohol became illegal – barred from being manufactured and sold – thanks to the National Prohibition Act of 1920.

The new law was the culmination of a decades-long campaign by American Temperance Society and the Women’s Christian Temperance League, which argued drinking booze was an evil vice and amoral. The ban reshaped the American culture. 

“(Prohibition) made alcohol a black market item, so the big legitimate businesses were not able to (survive),” said Ryan Maybee, owner of the current-day J. Rieger & Co. distillery at 2700 Guinotte Ave. 

Two of the most notable local businesses that would shutter when Prohibition became law were J. Rieger & Co. and Heim’s Brewing Co. In its heyday, J. Rieger was made popular with its mail-order delivery services. And Heim’s was, according to Visit KC, the “largest pre-Prohibition beer producer west of the Mississippi.” 

The two companies were linked. Heim’s produced the glass bottles for J. Rieger’s whiskey.

Even while booze continued to be made and sold illegally – some newspapers called it “hell’s own brew” – Prohibition halted Heim’s and J. Rieger’s production. As a result, it severed an economic lifeline in Kansas City’s old Northeast area, where Heim’s building was located.

It’s taken almost 100 years for it to recover. 

Maybee revived J. Rieger and in 2014, coincidentally, opened a whiskey distillery in the old Heim’s bottling facility.

“Our bottles were made here, so there’s this romance with this piece of real estate,” said Phil Hopkins, one of J. Rieger’s tour guides.

To top off the comeback, J. Rieger announced Wednesday that it has been named one of the country’s best new attractions by USA Today.