Jenni Karakasevic / Owner and Director of Operations, Charbay Distillery, Ukiah, CA
Jenni Karakasevic, owner and director of operations at Charbay Distillery in Ukiah, CA, remembers the first drink she created with The Perfect Purée when she was working at the Market Restaurant in St. Helena in 2002.
“We created the Blood Orange Drop using Charbay Blood Orange Vodka and The Perfect Purée Blood Orange Concentrate. It’s just like a lemon drop, only with blood orange,” she says. “It was an instant hit and it was the best-selling item in our restaurant for several years.”
Jenni spent nearly a decade in catering and restaurant and resort food and beverage management before joining the Charbay team in 2004. Her youthful energy has been integral to Charbay’s growth as a family business and its identity as a pioneer in the modern American artisan distillery movement.
Jenni has worked nearly every job at Charbay and in 2009 married Marko Karakasevic, Charbay’s 13th generation master distiller. Jenni and Marko bought the distillery from Miles and Susan Karakasevic in 2017 and are teaching their young sons the art of the still while pouring their passion for artisan spirits into building Charbay slowly and steadily — the way it’s always been done.
Jenni has partnered with The Perfect Purée for numerous contests and events. “I trust their quality and their flavor profile and look forward to many more years of partnership!”