SONAT, DISTILLERY PRESIDENT
Sonat, a Chicago native, spent over a decade working in advertising in Europe's most exciting cities while completing an MS at Oxford and a PhD at the University of London. As a former professor in the United States and Germany, she has been awarded numerous grants and fellowships for her many publications. Of all the places she has lived, nowhere is closer to her heart than Chicago, the "Paris of the Prairie," and so she gave up tenure and returned to her hometown to start a sustainable family business, where she has spearheaded much of the product development and distribution and the rearing of the company’s future - two adorable sons.

ROBERT, MASTER DISTILLER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Robert is one of America’s top distilling experts, an internationally-renowned consultant, and the creator of the most unique spirits in America. An Austrian native, Robert grew up helping his grandparents at their award-winning distillery and winery and later received a certificate from Austria’s leading university program for distilling technology, Höhere Bundeslehranstalt und Bundesamt für Wein- und Obstbau Klosterneuburg. He also honed his skills working with Europe’s foremost spirits expert, Dr. Klaus Hagmann, developing fermentation techniques for craft distilleries. Robert is a key lecturer at Siebel Institutes' distilling courses and teaches over 150 prospective distillers a year in his own workshops. Robert's technical expertise and creativity have garnered Koval national and international spirits awards. Before focusing on distilling, Robert was the Deputy Press Secretary for the Austrian Embassy in Washington, DC. His decision to distill was born out of his love of traditional crafts and the pride of a small family business, both of which exemplify the real American dream.

 

MARK, DISTILLER & CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
When checking Mark's job description, you will see a long list of daily tasks and duties. Robert and Sonat left one thing off the list: being awesome. "Awesomeness," however, is not just a daily task - for Mark, it's a way of life. He first started at Koval while attending college at Roosevelt University in Chicago. Needing an internship to graduate, he found Koval and applied. Minutes after leaving his interview, Mark got the job at the distillery and never left... in all likelihood, he is probably there right now. (We're thinking of buying him an awesome sleeping bag or something.)

 

 

 

JEN, SOUTHERN DISTILLERY AMBASSADOR
Jen is a native of New Orleans, the original cocktail city. She moved north to Chicago for college, but found herself truly at home in our distillery. Armed with a degree in anthropology and a healthy reverence for a well-mixed Sazerac, she's thrilled to be introducing Koval to the South, where she can usually be found sipping whiskey on the porch in the shade of banana trees

 

 

EASTERN DISTILLERY AMBASSADOR
position filled
CHICAGO DISTILLERY AMBASSADOR - North
position filled
CHICAGO DISTILLERY AMBASSADOR - South
currently interviewing
WESTERN DISTILLERY AMBASSADOR
currently interviewing

JASON, OFFICE MANAGER
A native of Wisconsin and survivor of jobs in county government and the nonprofit world, Jason is thrilled to be part of a thriving, sustainable (and German-speaking!) local business in his adopted hometown of Chicago. He studied international relations and urban planning at American University and the University of Illinois, respectively, and was an intern in the British Parliament and a Fulbright Fellow in Germany (where he memorably appeared as a member of a tasting jury on the TV cooking show "Kochduell"). Jason - who has a scary amount of expertise in both tax increment financing and pub trivia - also makes a mean schnitzel, often sports a mohawk and/or suspenders, and recently bought a ukulele.

KRISTINE, DESIGN & EVENT COORDINATOR
Born and raised in pretty (and hilly) Pittsburgh, PA, Kristine rarely hesitates to tout Steel City as one of America's best and most underrated. After studying photojournalism and French at Boston University, she cozied up to Chicago, a city much larger and flatter than expected but just as groovy as she hoped. Her love of craft beer and curiosity of Uptown led her to Koval, where she is absolutely delighted to spread the joy of divine whiskey to a city that loves the local.