Medium & Craft Distillery Founders
Midwest States
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
1
Robert & Sonat Birnecker
KOVAL Distillery
When the Birneckers built KOVAL Distillery in 2008, they weren’t just creating a brand; they were igniting a movement. Their timing was impeccable, as Chicago had not seen a legal craft distillery since before the 19th century, because city and state laws regarding distilling were so grossly outdated.
2
Ron Call,
Green River
Ron Call is a seventh‑generation master distiller whose life seems scripted by whiskey. Born into a storied lineage dating back to Samuel Call, who ran stills in 1790s Kentucky, Ron grew up steeped in bourbon tradition. His early years were shaped by visits to Jim Beam’s Boston plant, where he delivered dinner to his father, Jacob Call, sparking a lifelong fascination with distilling.
3
Joe & Missy Duer,
Indian Creek Distilling
Joe Duer had always been fascinated by stories handed down through generations. He was fortunate to meet a woman who shared his passion for old-school craftsmanship, history, and whiskey. His partner, Missy (née Staley), was born into a lineage of distillers at the Staley Mill Farm, which was first founded in 1818 in New Carlisle, Ohio.
4
Larry Ebersold,
New Riff
During his illustrious 38-year career, Larry Ebersold has become known as the “godfather of rye whiskey”. Larry holds a Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Louisville, graduating in 1972. He immediately started working at a small distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, which at the time was under the ownership of Seagrams, but is now known as MGP/Luxco. Larry became the Master Distiller and held that the title there for 20 years.
5
Jay Erisman,
New Riff
New Riff uses the sour mash technique, where a portion of the stillage (or “backset”) from one batch is returned to the mash of the next batch. Jay and the team view this as a flavor anchor, a tradition that many believe simply makes better whiskey, though opinions differ as to exactly why.On top of that, nothing is chill‑filtered—no additives, nothing removed. Jay sees this as almost a spiritual commitment to authenticity.
6
Paul Hletko,
F.E.W. Spirits
FEW Spirits was founded by Paul Hletko in Evanston, Illinois a suburb just north of Chicago in 2011. It was his way to honor his family's history after his grandfather lost his large brewery to the Nazi’s during WW II. Evanston wasn’t exactly the whiskey capital of the midwest. Matter of fact, no liquor had ever been distilled in the city and for 117 years. FEW Spirits is innovating their products to stand out in the whiskey industry. FEW Spirits was acquired in 2022 by Heaven Hill.
7
Ted Huber & Sons,
Starlight Distillery
As part of Indiana’s “First Family” of distilling, 7th-generation whiskey makers Ted and Greg Huber have continued their family's legacy. Originally a fruit and wine-making farm, Huber's Starlight distillery has broadened its portfolio by adding brandy, bourbon, and rye to its offerings. Located in Starlight, Indiana, the distillery was established in 2001.
Starlight is one of the few American Whiskey producers who use a sweet mash method.
8
Ryan Lang
Middle West Spirits
Ryan Lang was born in Williamsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1980. He is the co‑founder, CEO, and Master Distiller of Middle West Spirits, a growing craft distillery based north of Columbus, Ohio. After receiving his Bachelor of Science degree from Penn State, Lang launched the company in 2008, building on a family legacy—he is a fourth‑generation distiller whose ancestors ran small farm distilleries in the early 1900s.
9
Kenneth Lewis,
New Riff Distilling
After college, Ken taught high school English in Detroit, Michigan, for 2 years, after which he became an “accidental entrepreneur” when his father, Martin, asked him to run a family-owned liquor store next to one of his discount stores in Louisville. After a year, he found that he really enjoyed the work and kept expanding, eventually leading him to grow to 6 stores.
10
Guy Rehorst,
Great Lakes Distillery
Guy Rehorst is the founder of Great Lakes Distilling, the first distillery to open in Wisconsin since Prohibition. He started the company in 2004, after realizing there were no local distilleries making high-quality spirits in the state. His goal was to bring craft distilling back to Milwaukee, and he worked hard to change outdated laws that made it difficult to open a small distillery.
11
Ed Ryan,
Hard Truth Distillery
Ed Ryan is the co‑founder and CEO of Hard Truth Distilling, the heart of a unique “three‑legged stool” business that includes a brewery, restaurants, and a distillery nestled in the woods of Nashville, Indiana. His journey began in 2008 when he, Jeff McCabe, and Tim O’Bryan teamed up to buy a foreclosed building. By 2009, they had turned it into Big Woods Brewing Co., a cozy brewpub where Tim’s homebrew was a hit from the start.
12
Brian Sprance,
New Riff
Brian Sprance joined New Riff Distillery at its founding in 2014 and is now New Riff’s Head Distiller.. He studied under the guidance of consulting Master Distiller Larry Ebersold, using his background in fermentation and creating his own spin on whiskey using his background in brewing to create new and unique flavor profiles. One example of this is Winter Whiskey, which has a mash bill of 65% corn, 20% malted oats, 7% pale ale malt, 5% steel-cut raw oats, and 3% chocolate malt.