Monternr 130 Today KOVAL is the largest artisan independent (craft) distillery in the USA, and also one of the most awarded. This is an exciting year for us at KOVAL, as 2018 marks our 10-year anniversary. When we started we were the first distillery in Chicago since the mid-1800s, and today, we have remained steadfast to our mission begun 10 years ago. Handmade with consistent quality, transparency, unique mash bills, and a focus on the heart cut, a benchmark of our individual style, and representative of the new school of American Whiskey we founded in 2008.