Clear Creek Distillery's Eaux de Vie

[JAZ]

In last quarter's "Slow" -- the quarterly journal of the Slow Food organization -- there was an article about this distillery and its eaux de vie, particularly its "Pear in a Bottle." This is pretty much what it sounds like -- the growers cover pear buds with bottles, so the pears grow into them, then use the bottles for a pear eau de vie. Apparently it's based on an Alsatian tradition.

Clear Creek's Pear-In-The-Bottle eau-de-vie, the only pear-in-a-bottle spirit made in the USA, is distilled in the same purist fashion as it has been for centuries by those farmers in Alsace, the French region bordering Germany that is known for its own pear-in-a-bottle spirit. It was there that McCarthy [the owner], a lawyer-cum-distiller, realized the potential of marrying the European tradition of making eau-de-vie with what he had back home -- word class fruits from his family's orchards in Hood River.

(Damn, as if lawyer-cum-food writers weren't bad enough. . .)

Today, artisanal distilling is part of the USA gastronomic revolution that raised its hungry head in the mid 1970s. If the 1980s was the wine and cheese decade, the 1990s and into the new millennium is the time for high quality spirits.

Very interesting article (in fact, the whole issue is devoted to wine, beer and spirits) but it's not online. The distillery has a website though, so check it out here.

I haven't tried any of these; has anyone else? St. George Spirits of Alameda CA (the makes of Hangar One vodkas) make some very nice eaux de vie that I've tried, and I could definitely see making a trip to Oregon to compare the qualities.

[trillium]

We tried the pomme eaux de vie years ago. I remember it being very rough and flavorful, but preferring the Calvados I buy to be smoother. It was a while ago, and maybe my tastes have changed. They're in downtown Portland, and I keep trying to get there for a tour (you have to call ahead) but since it's only during business hours I haven't managed to yet.

At Park Kitchen, a local restaurant and bar, the pear brandy sidecars are rumored to be quite good and they use the poire from Clear Creek.

regards,

trillium

[Carolyn Tillie]

I absoultely adore Clear Creek's products -- I found them when given a nipper of their Muscat Grappa and never looked back.

[Behemoth]

I haven't tried any of these; has anyone else? St. George Spirits of Alameda CA (the makes of Hangar One vodkas) make some very nice eaux de vie that I've tried, and I could definitely see making a trip to Oregon to compare the qualities.

I was considering that for my next purchase...My lovely wine store in Urbana carries it. I love after-dinner "digestifs" & have only recently discovered the northwest US aquavitae/grappas.

Here's a tip: Ransom Guwurtztraminner Grappa was my most recent "big success" discovery and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a postprandial digestiv. (I came across it at the above-mentioned wine store and was intrigued enough to plonk down $30). It is lovely and complicated -- more on the order of cognac than anything, very smooth. At the risk of completely embarassing myself, I will admit that sometimes I just open the bottle for a little whiff. It's that good.

He also does a pinot noir and a muscat version, both of which I am planning to try. Oh yeah, "he" is a guy named Tad Seestedt and he lives somewhere in Oregon.

Here is the website:

Ransom

[Craig Camp]

At the risk of completely embarassing myself, I will admit that sometimes I just open the bottle for a little whiff. It's that good.

I think this best describes the key element of fine grappa - the pure and elegant rendition of the aromas and flavors of the fruit. I too often open a bottle just to take a wiff - my current favorite "smelling bottle" is Pilzer Moscato Rosa Grappa.