Oregon distiller makes brandy, eau-de-vie and grappa in Portland - Steve McCarthy

Wines & Vines, Oct, 1990 by Philip E. Hiaring

Oregon distiller makes brandy, eau-de-vie and grappa in Portland

Steve McCarthy's family farms 120 acres of pears and apples in Oregon's Hood River Valley.

McCarthy, a former lawyer, began researching the distillation of both fruits into eau-de-vie in 1978. As a fan of such products, McCarthy spent time in Europe and with Jorge Rupf of St. George Spirits in California. That was in the early '80s, and today McCarthy has a small, immaculate distillery (two Holstein pot stills) on Northwest 23rd Avenue in a residential Portland neighborhood.

Offhand, you might think McCarthy would have a problem (Oregon is a control state for spirits) establishing a distillery in Oregon's major city. No problems at all, at least from the city, state or feds. He did have a problem with the local neighborhood association, but resolved these differences. Interestingly, special legislation allows him to operate his own "liquor" store at the same premise where he ferments and distills his fruit.

A third product is grappa. He buys fermenting Muscat Ottonel and Early Muscat from The Eyrie Vineyard, completes fermentation at his facility, then immediately distills. His initial production was 150 cases, compared to 2,000 cases each of apple and pear brandies.

Because he grows all the pears and apples he uses, McCarthy can pick the pears at the exact degree of ripeness. Which is to say, green and hard as rocks. He harvests at 19 pounds of pressure, then treats the fruit to a varying regime of cold storage and high humidity. He says the Williams pear (also known as the Bartlett) has a very narrow ripeness window. Once the fruit is ripe, he crushes the whole fruit, ferments and then distills. He said fruit must be processed quickly, because fruit that is ripe at, say, 10 a.m. may be past its peak by 8 p.m. that night. It takes 28 pounds of pears, by the way, to make one 750 ml bottle of pear brandy.

For the apple brandy he buys used Cognac barrels from France to age what once were Golden Delicious apples. This brandy is a blend of two years and no caramel, sugar or [SO.sub.2] is added. To slow down evaporation from the barrels what the cognacaise call "the angel's share"--McCarthy mists his barrels. Only the apple brandy gets barrel time.

For a small produce Clear Creek has good distribution. It sells in Japan, London, Ontario and British Columbia in Canada and 15 major U.S. markets. The pear brandy is on the list at San Francisco's Postrio, for example.

The grappa retails for $25 per 750 ml, the apple for $14.75/375 ml in a Cavaldos bottle (McCarthy uses French and Italian bottles) and the pear sells (in Oregon) for $22/750 ml. He also has a 50 ml package for the pear at $2.50.

McCarthy plans line extensions, such as blackberry infusions, a marc from Gewurztraminer or framboise fermented and distilled on the premises.

PHOTO : Distiller Steve McCarthy is the proprietor of Clear Creek Distillers, a new Oregon operation which is getting rave reviews around the country.

PHOTO : The bottling line at Clear Creek: Portland's only distillery.