KOVAL Distillery

Tour and taste your way through Chicago’s first craft distillery since the mid-1800s. Learn about KOVAL’s unique approach to distilling while sampling the full line of award-winning organic spirits. Pre-register for tours online at koval-distillery.com.

Established in 2008, KOVAL has grown into one of the largest fully independent and woman-owned craft distilleries in the US, producing a full line of organic whiskey, gin, liqueurs and specialty spirits. Founders Robert and Sonat Birnecker chose to leave their academic careers to bring the distilling traditions of Robert’s Austrian family to America. In making this decision, they vowed to devote their distillery to locally-sourced spirits made from scratch (avoiding the common industry practice of purchasing and bottling pre-made spirits). KOVAL has since made a name for itself as a creative force in the distilling world, in part through its unique mash bills, but also due to its “heart cut” approach to distilling, which allows for the best expression of each spirit.

Embracing the grain-to-bottle mentality, each step of the spirit-making process is thoughtfully monitored: beginning with contracting local farmers to grow the grain, to on-site milling and mashing, to finally distilling, bottling, and packaging. KOVAL is available throughout all 50 states and in 55+ export markets, yet crafts absolutely everything on-site in their Ravenswood distillery.