Updated March 8, 2010

This is apple brandy season at Clear Creek.  Our fourth truckload of apples will arrive Tuesday.  We have already crushed three loads.  Some of the apple mash is still fermenting - and we are punching those tanks -  and some has finished fermenting and been distilled. We continue to distill the earlier loads this week which makes for one wonderful smelling distillery.

This week we are taking some steps in preparing Raspberry and Cassis liqueurs for bottling -- crucial steps.  Both raspberries and black currants have been macerating in tanks of unaged brandy since summer.  We recently pressed out the solid parts of the fruits and let the fine particulate settle out.  Now we take the top portion of the tank, without the fine particulate, and add some cane sugar.  This step requires astute taste buds and good judgment.  This is the point at which the flavor of the end product is determined.

Cranberry Liqueur is fist in line to be bottled this week.  Raspberry and Cassis will be next.

For the first time ever, Clear Creek Distillery owner and founder Steve McCarthy will be conducting a distilling seminar  October 13-15, 2010.  Learn the entire process of making Clear Creek Pear Eau de Vie, "the most extraordinary eau-de-vie in America, indeed, in the world" (Karen MacNeil, The Wine Bible) from the man who is said to "set new standards among the world's smaller distilleries" (Jim Murray's Whiskey Bible 2004).

Products Out of Stock

McCarthy's Single Malt Whiskey is now sold out from the distillery.  Every drop we have is still aging in barrels.  Although you can't buy a bottle here, there are many good retailers that still have McCarthy's on their shelves.  Check out our where to buy page to find a bottle near you.

Our next bottling is scheduled for November 2010.  If you'd like us to notify you when we bottle it, please contact us and ask to be put on the Whiskey List.

We will not have any Nebbiolo Grappa for over a year.  This year's Nebbiolo pomace was mistakenly dumped rather than saved for us, so we had no fruit from which to make the grappa.  We do have five other very good grappas that should not be missed and we encourage you to try them.

Framboise (raspberry eau de vie) is down to a handful of bottles here at the distillery.  As of January 7, we have 2 bottles.  We are virtually sold out.  Because of the tough economy we made the decision not to buy the raspberries to make framboise this year.  They are the most expensive fruit we buy and a single 375 ml bottle requires about 80 pounds of berries.  It is very expensive to make and we just couldn't do it this year.  We hope to make some in the summer of 2010 and have framboise available in the fall.

Apple in the Bottle is also down to a handful of bottles here at the distillery.  Three, to be exact, as of January 7.  We have to wait for apple season to grow more fruit in the bottles.  We expect to have more in September 2010.

Many good retailers throughout the country still have these product in stock, but we have shipped every last case from the distillery in Portland, Oregon, where it is made.  If you would like to be notified when we next bottle these products, please contact us and ask to be put on our waiting list.