Kat Valentina

Planetary Herbology (the study of traditional plant medicine from around the world), Traditional Chinese Medicine, and bartending seem like an odd combination. Kat Valentina doesn’t think so! After years of living a life that had seemingly contrasting ways of presenting themselves in the world, Valentina decided to take those great loves and find their common denominator. That thread was medicine. The healing of the plants combined with the alchemical medicine of spirits brought the vision of Elemental Spirits to life. Focusing on a line of bitters and hydrosols was the beginning. In collaboration with Jeff VanHee, co-founding Lake Tahoe Distilling was the next piece of the puzzle of conscious imbibing. A portfolio of spirits, bitters and hydrosols have arrived to cultivate the art of medicinal mixology. When she is not fingers deep in the dirt working with the plants, nose deep in a book on plants, or fingers deep in creating cocktails, you can find Kat hiking with her dog Isis Franklin Ewe, followed by dancing in her favorite Speakeasy… right next to her old school record player adjacent to stacks of crystals, feathers and books. Check out her articles at Chilled online magazine and Distiller magazine for a bit more insight into her world!

Jeff VanHee

A serial entrepreneur with multiple skill sets from master wood working to master distilling, Jeff runs a successful multi-person crew at VanHee Woodworks, consistently delving into unique, creative endeavors with his clients.  In 2007, he founded Tahoe Moonshine Distillery and earned a decade of success. Multiple awards followed his impressive portfolio of varied spirits and Lake Tahoe was well represented in the spirits’ world! Flash forward to 2018 when VanHee and Valentina decided to co-found Lake Tahoe Distilling and continue to grow and nourish Elemental Spirits to create a platform for the ultimate medicinal mixology experience through beautifully crafted spirits, bitters & hydrosols.  When Jeff is not creating wonder with his VanHee crew or blending fantastic flavors into bold distillates, you can find him with his lovely and talented songbird wife Ashley and their lively daughters Alyrica & Novi.  And if you don’t blink, you might actually be able to catch a glimpse of him surfing the lake, boarding the snow encrusted slopes, and biking the mountains around the Lake Tahoe Basin.