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Clear Creek Distillery (Hood River Distilleries)

Clear Creek Distillery (Hood River Distilleries)

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Handcrafted from Oregon orchard fruit, Clear Creek Distillery’s eaux de vie, fruit liqueur, and brandies have, for decades, married classic European brandy-making techniques learned in Alsace and Switzerland with the traditional European pot still.

No colors or flavors are ever added to our brandies. The distinctive “nose,” or initial smell of the brandy in a snifter, is the result of careful fermentation and distillation of perfectly ripe fruit. You will taste only the clear and fiery essence of Oregon’s finest fruits.

Owner/distiller Steve McCarthy and his brandies are respected internationally, served in the world’s best restaurants, and celebrated by connoisseurs everywhere:

“In Oregon, Steve McCarthy’s Clear Creek Distillery is producing what many experts feel to be the best fruit brandies…ever made in the U.S.” (The New York Times Magazine, Dec. 8, 1991). Steve McCarthy received Bon Appétit’s American Food & Entertaining Award “Wine and Spirit Professional of the Year” (September, 2001). His spirits have been called “the most extraordinary eaux-de-vie in America, indeed, in the world” (“The Wine Bible,” by Karen MacNeil, 2001) and “Gorgeous, impeccably pure eaux de vie” (Eric Asimov, The New York Times, August 15, 2007).

In 2014, McCarthy sold Clear Creek Distillery to Hood River Distilleries, Oregon’s largest and oldest craft distillery, which continues to make several of his original products using the same methodology and reverence to high-quality Oregon fruit and herbs.

A legendary figure in the handcrafted spirits business, McCarthy passed away in 2023.

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Eden Specialty Ciders

Eden Specialty Ciders

Thursday, December 1, 2011

At Eden Specialty Ciders (click for video), our mission is to produce high-quality, boutique ciders and wines from traditional and heirloom apples produced in Vermont orchards.

Eight pounds of apples go into the making of each 375ml bottle of ice cider. Our ice ciders have won many ice cider gold medals and been recognized by Food & Wine, The Art of Eating, Wine Spectator, Culinate, Eatocracy, Serious Drinks, Edible Manhattan, and “Martha Stewart Living Radio.”

Our customers are discerning chefs, sommeliers, and wine shop owners, wine drinkers, sweet-wine lovers, foodies, gift-givers, and also people who just love Vermont.

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Latah Creek Wine Cellars

Latah Creek Wine Cellars

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Latah Creek Wine Cellars (click for video) is a family-owned Washington winery that has quietly built one of the most consistent and approachable portfolios in the region since its founding in 1982. At a time when Washington wine was still emerging, founders Mike and Ellena Conway set out to craft wines rooted in balance, complexity, and everyday enjoyment—and more than four decades later, that philosophy still defines every bottle they produce.

Today, Latah Creek remains a true family operation, with second-generation winemaker Natalie Conway carrying the tradition forward while introducing fresh ideas.

While the winery is widely recognized for its Merlot, its most popular offerings lean toward highly drinkable, fruit-forward wines like Pinot Gris, Riesling, and the locally beloved Huckleberry d’Latah. The portfolio spans dry and sweet styles, making it especially appealing to both traditional wine drinkers and those newer to wine or exploring fruit-driven profiles.

Beyond the wines themselves, Latah Creek stands out for its welcoming, unpretentious approach. Their goal has always been simple: create wines that pair beautifully with food, but are just as enjoyable on their own—and keep them priced so they can be part of everyday life, not just special occasions.

Latah Creek represents exactly what makes smaller, family-run wineries worth discovering: consistency, character, and wines designed to be enjoyed, not overthought.

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