lear Creek Distillery Cherry Liqueur, Oregon

Clear Creek Distillery Cherry Liqueur, Oregon draws its character from dark, sweet cherries grown near The Dalles in the Columbia River Gorge. Whole fruit is macerated in Clear Creek’s own cherry brandy, allowing the skins, pulp, and pits to contribute more than simple cherry sweetness. The result is a fruit-forward liqueur with a deeper, gently earthy side, made in the Pacific Northwest tradition that has defined Clear Creek since its founding.

Product Details:

• Base Spirit: Clear Creek Kirschwasser, a clear cherry fruit brandy
• Fruit: Dark, sweet table cherries from orchards near The Dalles
• Maceration: Whole cherries, including skins, pulp, and pits, macerated in fruit brandy
• Proof: 38 proof
• ABV: 19%
• Producer: Clear Creek Distillery, a Hood River Distillers brand
• Owner: Hood River Distillers
• Master Distiller: Caitlin Bartlemay

Sensory Description:

Ripe dark-cherry aromas lead, with a rich, vanilla-like impression of sweet cherry flesh. The palate follows with concentrated fruit, balanced by a subtle earthy note from the whole-fruit maceration. Its sweetness keeps the cherry in focus while the brandy base gives the liqueur a more grounded, rounded character.

Producer’s Background:

Steve McCarthy founded Clear Creek in 1985 to make fruit spirits from the Pacific Northwest’s orchard bounty, drawing on European eau-de-vie traditions. Hood River Distillers acquired the company in 2014, and Clear Creek moved its operations to Hood River in 2017, closer to regional fruit sources. Master Distiller Caitlin Bartlemay joined Clear Creek in 2010 and now leads the distilling team responsible for its brandies and liqueurs.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve cool in a cordial glass as an after-dinner drink, or pour over ice. Its cherry depth works in cocktails that call for cherry liqueur, including a Singapore Sling, and it can be added to sparkling wine for a fruit-led aperitif. Try it alongside vanilla ice cream or a dark-chocolate dessert.