Portland’s pear eaux de vie impresses in the Big Apple

Clear Creek Distillery‘s products, in particular distiller Stephen R. McCarthy’s vaunted eaux de vie, are profiled in the New York Times this morning.

An eau de vie is most simply defined as a “colorless fruit brandy,” but Clear Creek’s “eaux de vie capture the three-dimensional aromas and flavors of each particular fruit with an almost breathtaking clarity, intensity and depth,” says the chief wine critic for the Times, Eric Asimov.

I’ve tried, and liked, Clear Creek’s Eau de Vie de Pomme. It’s pretty close to a good Calvados. After reading this article I’m inspired to try the complete line, especially the Eau de Vie of Douglas Fir!