koval distillery tour

let me just start by saying that this was one of the most incredible and inspiring experiences i have had in a very long time.

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i got the chance to tour the koval distillery with alex because his colleague couldn't join him. they were meant to be location scouting the facility to see if it'd work for the next episode in their series (linked above). immediately, upon entry, everyone at koval was so warm, welcoming, and knowledgable. they are all so clearly passionate about their work, and very eager to share that passion and excitement with us. koval has been in operation since 2008, and was the first legal distillery in chicago since the 1800s. one of the founders worked to change chicago legislation in order to legalize and legitimize distilling here. the founders now host workshops to help other people interested in starting their own companies. koval is still independently owned, and feels very much like a family company.

when we first walked into the distillery, we were greeted by a handful of people hand-peeling and dicing ginger for the ginger liqueur. we started our tour at the giant, two thousand pound grain bags which are labeled according to which alcohol they will be used for. all of the grain is organic, non-gmo, kosher, and sourced as close to chicago as possible. we walked by the mashing tanks, stills, barrels, and bottling station. everything from grain to final packaging is done in this warehouse, and the quality and integrity is obvious.

after we toured the distillery, they were kind enough to let us taste some of their amazing product. we tried the gin, which is award-winning both for the alcohol and for the beautifully designed bottle.

in all honesty, we tried a lot of things. like almost all of them. they were all excellent. my favorites were the oatmeal whiskey and the rosehip liqueur. overall, i think alex and i were simply captivated and enthralled by the entire story and business operation. it was truly an inspiring and one-of-a-kind experience, and i am so proud to know this company.

if you want to check out koval for yourself, they do offer tours and classes. you can check out all that info here. to hold you over before you go to koval yourself, here are a few shots that alex captured while we were there, as well as the completed video (above).