Two Eagles Distillery sits in an industrial area of Mt. Prospect, Illinois, bringing craft spirits to the northwest suburbs of Chicago. Founded by Tom and Karen Eck in 2015, this husband-and-wife operation started as a retirement project that quickly grew beyond their expectations. Tom, a former engineer, and Karen, who worked in healthcare administration, dove into distilling after taking classes and falling in love with the craft. They converted a 3,000-square-foot warehouse space into their distillery, complete with a custom-built copper still from Vendome Copper & Brass Works. The facility produces vodka, gin, whiskey, and seasonal spirits, focusing on small-batch production with attention to local ingredients when possible. The Ecks handle most operations themselves, from mashing and distilling to bottling and running the tasting room. Their approach emphasizes education and transparency – they want visitors to understand how spirits are made, not just taste the final product. The space feels more like a working lab than a polished tourist destination, which perfectly matches their philosophy of putting the craft first and the marketing second.
