Koval Distillery

Penny Acosta Feb 23 20240 comments

Established in 2008, Koval Distillery produces organic whiskey and is the first distillery in Chicago since the mid-1800s. The distillery was founded by Robert and Sonat Brinecker and vowed to change the way people understand whiskey. Their goal was to create a new, signature style using only the heart cut of the distillate. The name Koval means "blacksmith", in numerous Eastern European languages, but also refers to a "black sheep" in Yiddish.

This name was chosen to represent their grandfathers and also pay tribute to themselves for pursuing a dream of creating the most unique whiskey in America. All of the Koval whiskies are single barrel expressions made with locally sourced materials. The Koval Rye is matured in an American Oak from Minnesota and claimed Silver at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2020. The Koval Distillery continues to produce whiskey, gin and other liqueurs whilst ensuring the essence of innovation shines through all their expressions.

Tags: