At 360 CHICAGO, we're proud to highlight businesses that help shape our city. This Women's History Month, we're celebrating one of Chicago's most influential women-led brands: KOVAL Distillery.
Known around the world for its award-winning spirits and commitment to quality, KOVAL represents more than just tasty whiskey and gin. It's a story of determination and paving the way for others led by co-founder and president Dr. Sonat Birnecker Hart.
KOVAL is a powerful example of how women continue to lead and shape industries that were once overwhelmingly male dominated.
KOVAL's history is deeply rooted in Chicago. After years spent teaching and conducting research in the United States and Germany, Dr. Sonat Birnecker Hart made the decision to leave academia and return to the city she loved. Together with her husband, master distiller Dr. Robert Birnecker, she launched KOVAL Distillery in 2008.
At the time, Chicago had not seen a distillery open since the mid-1800s. What began as a leap into a largely undeveloped craft spirits industry quickly grew into something much bigger.
Today, KOVAL spirits are distributed across the United States and internationally, reaching countries such as Germany, Japan, Canada, and Australia. Along the way, the brand has earned more than 100 international awards and helped spark a new wave of craft distilling.
But the heart of KOVAL's story is still Chicago. The city's work ethic and creativity helped shape the company from the beginning.
What sets KOVAL apart is its commitment to doing things differently. The distillery produces a distinctive line of whiskey, gin, and specialty spirits using organic grains sourced from Midwestern farms. This grain-to-bottle approach means every step of production happens under KOVAL's careful oversight, from sourcing ingredients to milling, mashing, distilling, aging, and bottling.
One of the defining elements of KOVAL's process is the use of the "heart cut," a distillation technique that captures only the purest portion of the spirit. By focusing on this middle cut, KOVAL produces spirits that are notably clean, balanced, and expressive of their ingredients. This process reflects the company's philosophy: exceptional spirits start with exceptional ingredients and careful craftsmanship.
As a leader in a historically male-dominated industry, Dr. Birnecker Hart has helped define what leadership in the spirits world can look like.
Her role includes product development, distribution, and marketing, while also helping educate the next generation of distillers. Though consulting and workshops hosted at the Chicago distillery, she and her team have helped hundreds of aspiring distillers around the world launch their own operations.
Within KOVAL itself, women play a significant role across the company, from leadership and design to sales and strategy. Their perspectives help shape the brand's identity.
Dr. Birnecker Hart often encourages young women to pursue the opportunities available to them today, even in industries where female role models may be harder to find. Her perspective is simple but powerful: if the path doesn't exist yet, create it.
At 360 CHICAGO, we believe stories like KOVAL's deserve to be celebrated.
Chicago is a city built by people willing to take risks, work hard, and build something new. Dr. Sonat Birnecker Hart and the KOVAL team embody that spirit, proving that leadership, creativity, and resilience can shape not only a brand but an entire industry.
This Women's History Month, we invite you to join us in raising a glass to the women paving the way and making Chicago stronger every day.
Named after Kitihawa Point du Sable, a Potawatomi woman recognized as one of Chicago's earliest known settlers who helped establish the first permanent settlement that became Chicago.
In honor of Women's History Month, CloudBar is featuring the Kitihawa, a cocktail made with KOVAL spirits that celebrates Chicago's history while highlighting a woman-owned distillery.
"With women representing almost 30 percent of whiskey drinkers in the U.S. and being responsible for up to 70 percent of alcohol purchasing decisions for the home, it felt right to show what has often been considered a man's drink is, in fact, gender neutral. Women love whiskey! A twist on the classic Whiskey Sour has always been my favorite way to serve the spirit as a cocktail. Much like the false narrative around settlements and industry being driven by masculine choices, it also felt right to choose Kitahawa to show that Chicago's own founding is rooted in the feminine. A lovely reminder that women are the driving force behind our communities," said Mel Carroll, CloudBar Bar Manager.
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