Clear Creek Apple Brandy is a Pacific Northwest apple brandy crafted in the tradition of Normandy’s Calvados, distilled from local Oregon orchard fruit. We pour it at Grappa, our Mediterranean restaurant in Queen Anne, Seattle, as a graceful, orchard-bright way to end the evening.
About the Producer
Clear Creek Distillery, founded in Oregon in 1985, was among the first American craft distilleries devoted to European-style fruit spirits. Working with old-world techniques and fruit grown on the slopes of Mount Hood, the distillery set out to make an apple brandy that could stand beside the finest of France, and it has earned a quiet, lasting reputation for doing exactly that.
Style & Production
This is an apple brandy, made from fresh, whole Oregon apples that are fermented and then distilled in the Calvados manner. The spirit is patiently aged in French oak, drawing colour and complexity from the wood while keeping the orchard at its heart. The result is a brandy that is at once pure fruit and quietly sophisticated.
Tasting Notes
Amber in the glass, with a remarkably vivid apple nose lifted by pear, baked-apple sweetness, and soft oak spice. The palate is supple and warming, carrying fresh and cooked apple, a touch of vanilla and cinnamon, and a clean, lingering finish.
What to Pair It With
Its baked-apple character is wonderful with our Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta or a slice of Mama’s Tiramisu. For a savoury close, the orchard spice also plays beautifully against our Charcuterie Board from the dine-in menu.
How It’s Served at Grappa
We serve it neat as a digestif, in a snifter to let the apple aromas open, for $11.
FAQ
Where is it from?
It is made by Clear Creek Distillery in Oregon, using apples grown in the Pacific Northwest near Mount Hood.
What does it taste like?
It is bright with fresh and baked apple, pear, soft oak spice, and a touch of vanilla and cinnamon, finishing clean and warming.
Is it like Calvados?
Yes, it is made in the Calvados tradition of Normandy, distilled from whole apples and aged in French oak, though it comes from Oregon.
Ready to enjoy a glass? book a table, the cocktail & spirits list, and the dine-in menu.
