Clear Creek Pear Brandy 375ML

Clear Creek Pear Brandy 375ML is an unaged eau de vie distilled from Williams (Bartlett) pears, bottled at 40% ABV in a 375ml half-bottle. A Double Gold medal winner at the San Francisco International Spirits Competition, this Oregon-made brandy has earned a reputation as one of the finest American fruit distillates, rivaling traditional European pear brandies in purity and intensity.

Quick Facts: ABV: 40%  |  Origin: Portland, Oregon, USA  |  Unaged Eau de Vie  |  Distillery: Clear Creek Distillery

Production & Heritage

Clear Creek Distillery was founded in 1985 by Stephen McCarthy in Portland, Oregon, making it one of America's earliest craft distilleries. McCarthy modeled his operation on the European eau de vie tradition, importing German-made copper pot stills to distill whole crushed and fermented Williams pears sourced from orchards in Oregon's Hood River Valley. It takes roughly 20 pounds of pears to produce a single 750ml bottle — an exceptionally high fruit-to-spirit ratio that accounts for the brandy's vivid, concentrated pear character. Hood River Distillers acquired Clear Creek in 2014, continuing production under the original methods.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Fresh-cut pear leads immediately, joined by subtle green melon and a buttery trace of ethanol that softens the higher-toned fruit notes. The nose is distinctly fruited but never cloying or overly sweet.

Taste: The entry is silky and round with a gentle alcoholic warmth that gives way to a burst of authentic pear flavor at mid-palate. The texture carries medium weight, and the profile stays pleasingly dry with a slightly perfumed quality and a hint of pear skin underneath.

Finish: Warm and lingering, the finish delivers spicy ginger and white pepper accents alongside delicate floral notes. As the alcohol warmth fades, what remains is the unmistakable impression of biting into a ripe pear — remarkably pure and clean.

How to Drink Clear Creek Pear Brandy

Eau de vie is traditionally served neat at cool room temperature in a tulip-shaped glass to concentrate the aromatics. A slight chill can tighten the flavors without muting the delicate pear expression. Beyond neat sipping, this brandy works in several cocktails: a Pear Sidecar, where it replaces cognac and pairs naturally with citrus; a French 75 variation, substituting pear brandy for gin to add orchard fruit depth to the sparkling wine base; and a Champagne cocktail, where a small pour floated into a flute adds fragrant pear complexity without sweetness.

Best For

• Gifting a spirits enthusiast who appreciates artisan American distilling
• After-dinner digestif service following a rich autumn or winter meal
• Sampling a half-bottle before committing to the full 750ml format
• Introducing someone to the eau de vie category with an accessible, fruit-forward example

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Clear Creek Pear Brandy taste like? Clear Creek Pear Brandy delivers an intensely pure, fresh pear flavor with a silky texture, dry profile, and a finish accented by ginger, white pepper, and floral notes. It tastes remarkably like biting into a ripe Williams pear rather than a sweetened or artificial fruit spirit.

How does Clear Creek Pear Brandy compare to Massenez Poire Williams? Both are traditional-method pear eau de vie distilled from Williams pears, but Clear Creek uses Oregon-grown fruit from the Hood River Valley and German-made pot stills in Portland, while Massenez distills in Alsace, France. Critics have noted that Clear Creek holds its own against established European producers, offering comparable purity with a slightly spicier, more peppery finish.

Is Clear Creek Pear Brandy good for sipping neat? Absolutely — eau de vie is designed to be sipped neat, and Clear Creek's concentrated pear character and balanced 40% ABV make it particularly well-suited to drinking on its own in a tulip glass at cool room temperature.

Where is Clear Creek Pear Brandy made? Clear Creek Pear Brandy is distilled at Clear Creek Distillery in Portland, Oregon, using Williams (Bartlett) pears sourced from orchards in Oregon's Hood River Valley, a region renowned for its fruit cultivation.

What foods pair well with Clear Creek Pear Brandy? Blue cheese and aged Comté bring savory contrast to the pear's sweetness. Almond tart or frangipane complements the fruit's delicate floral quality. Dark chocolate with a moderate cacao percentage highlights the peppery finish. Poached pears or pear galette create a natural echo of flavor, and charcuterie — especially prosciutto — pairs well with the brandy's dry, aromatic profile.

What sizes does Clear Creek Pear Brandy come in? Clear Creek Pear Brandy is available in both 375ml and 750ml bottles, with the 375ml half-bottle serving as an ideal format for sampling or gifting.

Is Clear Creek Pear Brandy worth the price? Clear Creek positions as a premium American eau de vie, and the production economics explain the price point: roughly 20 pounds of pears go into every full-sized bottle. Multiple competition medals — including Double Gold at the San Francisco International Spirits Competition — and an A- rating from Drinkhacker reinforce its standing as strong value within the artisan fruit brandy category.

Why Clear Creek Pear Brandy?

The sheer volume of fruit required — 20 pounds of Hood River Valley pears per 750ml bottle — gives this eau de vie a concentration and authenticity that few American producers attempt. Clear Creek Distillery, founded in 1985 as a pioneer of craft distilling in Oregon, built its reputation specifically on this expression, earning Double Gold medals at the San Francisco International Spirits Competition in both 2000 and 2013, along with Gold at the 2021 Bartender Spirits Awards. The German copper pot still distillation preserves the Williams pear's natural aromatics without the masking effect of barrel aging, resulting in a spirit that is transparent in both appearance and intent. For anyone serious about fruit brandy, this remains one of the benchmarks of American eau de vie production.