A theologian, politician, and distiller walks into a …

That is, in a nutshell, the story of Jon Stanfill, Ved Elven’s distiller. Prior to opening Ved Elven, Jon has spent more than a decade working in higher education as a historian of ancient Christianity. He received his PhD in Theology at Fordham University in New York, where he wrote a dissertation on John Chrysostom (a fourth-century bishop of Constantinople) and the barbarian Goths. Since moving back home to the Pacific Northwest in 2016, he has taught in the Theology Department at the University of Portland.

Jon has long harbored a love for all things whiskey. But it was an unexpected encounter in early 2018 that set him on a new trajectory into the craft spirits industry. He visited Scratch Distillery (Edmonds, WA) and first encountered the amazing gins being made by Kim Karrick. Shortly thereafter, the opportunity arose to join the team at Scratch. So while he continued to teach at UP, Jon spent three summers trekking 2.5 hrs north to spend his weekends at Scratch—apprenticing under Kim.

After enjoying about a decade in the Bronx (along with a delightful year in Istanbul) and completing his doctorate, Jon was thrilled to return home to the Northwest. However, it was another twist of fate that unexpectedly led him to Kalama, a beautiful small town in SW Washington. In the years since, he has become heavily involved in his local community, including serving on the Kalama City Council.