KOVAL

Founded in 2008 by Dr. Robert Birnecker and Dr. Sonat Birnecker Hart, KOVAL was the first legal distillery to open in Chicago after Prohibition. The company developed a grain-to-bottle approach and grew into an international reference for craft spirits made with organic Midwestern grains.

Focus on ingredient quality (organic grains sourced from Midwest farms), sustainability and traceability. Small-batch craft production, organic and kosher certification, and emphasis on innovation in recipes and methods (e.g. unconventional mash bills, single-barrel).

Chicago (Ravenswood neighborhood), Illinois, USA. Urban production with national distribution and presence in foreign markets.

KOVAL reports more than 100 international awards for its expressions (detailed list of specific awards available on the official website).

Grain-to-bottle production: organic Midwest grains, on-site milling, fermentation and distillation in its own facility with a custom Kothe pot still, use of the 'heart cut' (retaining only the middle portion of the distillate) and single-barrel bottling for many expressions.

Custom Kothe pot still built to measure; distillation using a 'heart cut' (only the middle fraction is kept); grain-to-bottle process with on-site milling and distillation.

Aging in small new charred American oak barrels for some expressions; many releases are bottled as single barrel; limited releases and special finishes in particular casks (e.g. maple-syrup or brandy casks) for special editions.