Clear Creek Distillery was founded in 1985 by Steve McCarthy in Portland, Oregon. At the time, Clear Creek was the first craft distillery in Oregon post-Prohibition, and the third in the country. While traveling abroad, McCarthy fell in love with fruit brandies and their rich history. He returned home and, not being able to find US spirits which matched their European counterparts, he threw himself into the process of making pear and apple brandies from whole Pacific Northwest fruits. As luck would have it, McCarthy was again struck with inspiration while traveling and upon returning home embarked on a mission to craft what is now the first American single malt whiskey — McCarthy’s. Made from 100 per cent peat-malted barley imported from Scotland, brewed in partnership with local breweries, and aged for three years in air-dried
Oregon oak casks, McCarthy and his whiskey unknowingly tipped the first domino in what is now a delicious avalanche of American single malts. 

In 2014, McCarthy sold Clear Creek Distillery to Hood River Distillers to continue his legacy of crafting world class spirits. 

American Whiskey (AW): How did the distillery’s journey into creating American single malt begin? Was creating ASMW in the plans from the beginning?

Caitlin Bartlemay (CB): Our journey into American single malt can all be blamed on a particularly blustery weekend in Ireland. Founder Steve McCarthy and his wife Lucina Parker were traveling and had expected to spend the weekend hiking across Ireland but the weather was too poor even for a pair of experienced adventurers. Instead, they spent their time enjoying a friend’s collection of Scottish single malts and that is where the idea of an American single malt began for Steve. The first distillate came off the stills in January of 1994, nearly a decade after the distillery had originally opened. I imagine Steve had always planned to have a whiskey, but I don’t believe at any point did he realize in those early days that he had sparked a new category of American whiskey. 

AW: Could you talk me through your process of creation?

CB: Portland, the home of Clear Creek Distillery was at the time experiencing a boom of craft breweries. That, combined with the unique geography of Oregon, meant we not only grow barley, but also have peat bogs. McCarthy saw no reason that he couldn’t create his own expression of whiskey that had recently enchanted him. Unfortunately, no local craft malt house was willing to take the project of peat-malting barley but Steve was undaunted and instead decided to import the peat-malted barley from Scotland. Working with a brewery partner to make the wash, distilled a single time in our German brandy stills, and aged in Oregon oak casks, McCarthy’s broke most
of the traditions right out of the gate. In the early years, there was a moderate amount of experimentation with cask sizes, but the core of McCarthy’s identity remains the same. The flagship is still our 3 Years Old McCarthy’s, but we have since added to the line with a 6 Years Old, and two sherry-cask finishes of the 6 Years Old at cask strength.

AW: What would you say is the key differentiator for your American single malts in the market?

CB: We are honoring a global tradition while allowing for the artistry of the craft and celebrating a vast geographical landscape and the expression of local terroir.

AW: How has the recent ratification of ASMW impacted your distillery?

CB: 31 years after the first American single malt was ever placed in a barrel to rest, we see the category gain the recognition it deserves. There are more than 40 countries across the world that produce single malt. It is a globally celebrated art and craft, and with the formalization of its description, we join the legion of distillers that make something beautiful, because beauty deserves to exist. Art is celebrated by the creating of it, and the enjoyment of its existence. American single malt is no different. Difficult and expensive to make, but the end result is something so universally profound that artisans are continually drawn to the category to add their bottle to the shelf.

AW: Have you noticed an uptake in interest in ASMW since the ratification was announced?

CB: With the ratification of ASMW we have absolutely seen an uptick in interest. It has been exciting to witness a broader acceptance of the category across media platforms and consumers alike. 

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