Clear Creek
Clear Creek Distillery is one of America's pioneering craft distilleries, founded in Portland, Oregon, in 1985 by Steve McCarthy. Drawing inspiration from European traditions, the distillery built its reputation on fruit brandies and eaux-de-vie made from Pacific Northwest fruit, alongside a distinctive single-malt whiskey.
This collection gathers Clear Creek's range of fruit brandies, grappa, and specialty spirits. Known for its uncompromising, small-batch approach, Clear Creek helped establish American craft distilling long before it became a widespread movement, and its products remain benchmarks for the style.
Clear Creek Distillery is one of America's pioneering craft distilleries, founded in Portland, Oregon, in 1985 by Steve McCarthy.
Read more about Clear Creek
Clear Creek Distillery is one of America's pioneering craft distilleries, founded in Portland, Oregon, in 1985 by Steve McCarthy. Drawing inspiration from European traditions, the distillery built its reputation on fruit brandies and eaux-de-vie made from Pacific Northwest fruit, alongside a distinctive single-malt whiskey.
This collection gathers Clear Creek's range of fruit brandies, grappa, and specialty spirits. Known for its uncompromising, small-batch approach, Clear Creek helped establish American craft distilling long before it became a widespread movement, and its products remain benchmarks for the style.
History and Background
Clear Creek Distillery was established in 1985 by Steve McCarthy, whose family owned orchards in Oregon's Hood River Valley. McCarthy was inspired by the fruit brandies and eaux-de-vie he encountered in Europe, particularly the Alsace region of France, and set out to make comparable spirits using local Pacific Northwest fruit.
The distillery earned early recognition for its Pear Brandy, made in the traditional Alsatian style, and for its McCarthy's Oregon Single Malt Whiskey, one of the first American single malts. Over the decades, Clear Creek became a widely respected name in craft spirits.
In 2014, Clear Creek was acquired by Hood River Distillers, an Oregon-based company, which has continued to produce the brand's core range while maintaining its focus on fruit-forward spirits.
House Style and Production
Clear Creek's signature is its dedication to fruit brandies and eaux-de-vie — clear, unaged spirits distilled from ripe fruit that capture concentrated aromas and flavors. The Pear Brandy is a standout, and the distillery is well known for the striking bottles that contain a whole Bartlett pear grown inside, achieved by placing the bottle over the fruit while it is still on the tree.
Production emphasizes quality fruit and careful distillation to preserve delicate aromatics. Beyond eau-de-vie, the range has historically included grappa made from Pinot Noir and Muscat pomace, cassis (blackcurrant liqueur), and specialty products.
McCarthy's Oregon Single Malt Whiskey reflects a different tradition, using peated malt and aging in oak, producing a smoky, distinctive American single malt that stands apart from the fruit-based line.