To celebrate Women’s History Month, Vintegrity would like to introduce some of the amazing women on the team! Keep reading below to learn more about these awesome women who work hard to make Vintegrity the best wine and spirits distributor in Missouri and Kansas!
Shannon Behnen
Shannon Behnen – St. Louis Sales Representative
Favorite hole-in-the-wall bars?
I love the Crow’s Nest and, honestly, I think the best-kept-secret right now is Rockstar Tacos at the Gaslight on the Hill! If you fancy some amazing tacos and great cocktails, go check them out!
How did you get into the liquor distribution business?
I was a bartender and teacher before I got into distribution and I was ready for a change. A good friend of mine recommended me to a distributor and I got started in 2015.
Nobody knows that I can…
Play the guitar!
Meryl Medoff
Meryl Medoff – Lead Office And Operations Coordinator
Favorite meal + wine pairing?
I love pairing a nice Côtes du Rhône with grilled bone-in pork chops.
What are some of your favorite local restaurants?
Some of my favorites are Ika Grill, Bob Wasabi Kitchen, The Antler Room, Culinaria, Le Fou Frog, and Jarocho Pescados y Mariscos. All of these restaurants are all locally-owned spots that always impress me when I visit and I often recommend them to others!
What is your go-to drink to make for friends?
A Vieux Carré – a New Orleans cocktail that translates as “old square” referring to the French Quarter neighborhood. It’s made with rye whiskey, cognac, sweet vermouth, Bénédictine, and Peychaud’s bitters.
Cassie Niemeyer
Cassie Niemeyer – Kansas Sales Representative
What is a must-have at your home bar?
Sparkling wine! You never know when you might have an excuse to celebrate!
What do you love most about this job?
I love getting to know and share the stories of interesting people making amazing wine and booze!
I like to enjoy … while …
I like to enjoy a gigantic G&T—filled to the brim with ice, St. George Spirits Terroir Gin, homemade tonic, and lots of lemon wheels—outside somewhere enjoying the first sunny, warm day of spring!
Courtney Foster
Courtney Foster – Bi-State General Manager
Favorite breakfast cocktail?
Bloody Marys!
What are some of your favorite local restaurants?
The Antler Room, Vietnam Café, Waldo Thai, and Ragazza. They all have good people who are masters of their craft and make great contributions to the KC restaurant community!
What are your home bar must-haves?
Laird’s Applejack, Tom’s Town Botanical Gin, Tequila Arette, Grand Marnier, and Vermouth!
Courtney Weaver
Courtney Weaver – Kansas Sales Manager
Top 3 local bars?
Verdigris, The Restaurant at 1900, Drastic Measures. All three have some of the best service in town and the cocktails are next level! And all 3 are beautiful spaces with stunning atmospheres.
Favorite bottle in your cellar?
2018 Ayres One. Ayres is one of my favorite wineries. I bought a couple of bottles when we were able to get a limited allocation in 2020. I drank one this past New Year’s Eve because I couldn’t wait any longer! Hopefully, I’ll be able to show more self-control and wait a bit longer on the next one!
What do you love most about this job?
Our awesome office and sales staff at Vintegrity Kansas and the mix of people and personalities at so many different accounts!
Kasey Green
Kasey Green – Kansas Sales Representative
Favorite breakfast cocktail?
I love Italian liqueurs with juice or as a spritz. Cioco and grapefruit juice over ice is pretty dreamy.
What is your favorite liquor store?
UnKCorked off of Switzer and College Boulevard. Eric and Ian are both sommeliers and former reps. They pack in a ton of knowledge without being showy and pretentious. Also, Rimann Liquors in Prairie Village because the staff is so dedicated and friendly.
What do people think you do all day versus what you actually do?
People think I sling booze and deals all day, but in reality, I do a ton of driving, updating store inventories, keeping my product placements looking sharp, building relationships, hosting tastings, and a ton of other things!
Kerry Comiskey
Kerry Comiskey – Sales Representative
Top 3 bars?
I’m going to stick to Lawrence because it’s what I know best, so I’ll say The Bourgeois Pig, Henry’s Upstairs, and John Brown Underground. Not only do all three have an excellent selection of cocktails, wines, and spirits, but they are also owned and operated by some of the kindest, most hospitable people my husband and I know. Extra points for the Pig since my husband and I met there, got engaged there, and were then married by their longstanding lead bartender, who is a very good friend of ours!
What do you love most about this job?
I love that I get to sell and educate people about the wines and spirits I’m passionate about! It’s a truly wonderful experience to get someone as excited about something as I am. I also love how flexible the day-to-day schedule can be.
Favorite bottle in your cellar?
I was lucky enough to visit Paso Robles with some of the Vintegrity team last year and while we were there we visited a small winery called Torrin that really blew all of us away. They make gorgeous wines, but I am particularly excited about the bottle of Pinot I brought back!
Michelle Jaenke with mom, Winnie, and sister, Teresa, at their favorite vacation spot, Hilton Head Island.
Michelle Jaenke – Missouri State-Wide Sales Manager
How did you get into the liquor distribution business?
I used to work for an independent restaurant group leading their wine program and I transitioned from that into distribution 20 years ago.
What do people think you do all day versus what you actually do?
People think I get to drink wine all day, but really I work on spreadsheets and take many, many zoom calls!
Who are some important women in your life?
My mother, Winnie, and my sister, Teresa!
