Just Like craft brewing, Clear Water Distillery makes spirits/products based on a target flavor idea instead of a category. We feel that makes for the best products because they are not constrained by the need to fit to a particular category. It also gives us total freedom for creativity and results in a wonderful new pallet for bartenders and mixologists. This also results in spirits that may have never existed before and offers the consumer the chance to try something absolutely new. Imagine being Bob Ross with the restriction of only 8 colors of paint, and then your world opens up into an infinite spectrum of colorful expression.

Josephine “Eau-De-Vie”

Our ‘Josephine’ is a perfect example of that completely new spirit. Not only is the flavor unique, but also complex and enigmatic. As the spirit opens up, it changes flavor profile, and as the spirit ages, even in bottles, it changes character and deepens in complexity. Josephine is made from fruits and molasses and rested but not aged with toasted oak. This gives it a profile of a lovely brandy but also with spice and smoky notes found in a fine Scotch, and then rounds out with earthy notes and a magnificent mouthfeel.

We also prefer to make batch-based products that will vary in flavor from batch to batch due to idea improvements and agriculture. Wine will vary year to year, why should spirits based on crops need to remain identical year to year? We embrace that and look forward to the flavor profiles of each batch and appreciate the ephemeral nature of a particularly good version. Therefore, we hand-number each batch and proudly refer to each one like individual children.

Not only do we look to ingredients as a way to express creativity, but we also look at the distillation process to create new expressions. For instance, a botanical basket is generally used for vapor infusing gin. We have taken that process and applied it to our ‘Lorenz’ which is mainly a cane-based spirit and infused it with cinnamon sticks and vanilla beans. The process of emulsifying those oils picks up a tremendously delicious flavor with no sugars. The flavors then lend the spirit to all sorts of pairings with other cocktail ingredients from summer to winter including hot cocktails such as a wassail or a coffee.

We have only just begun. We have many product ideas and a healthy appetite for continuous growth and imagination. We will always be creating new spirits. With our research and development efforts, we have some promising new products that will be perfected and released over the next months and years. We look forward to sharing them with folks that seek out new experiences and new ideas for their own creations.

Meet the man with an insatiable passion for great-tasting spirits and enough grit to take on something as bold as starting the first distillery in a highly conservative county. Matt has spent 20+ years traveling the world in search of the most unique tastes and distilling techniques. This deep interest combined with 25 years of business experience gave him the idea to set out and do what he truly loves: creating the best-tasting premium liquors not just for himself, but for everyone in search of something defiantly different. “We’re a distillery that colors outside the lines; our fearless innovation crafts incredible taste without being confined by standard categories.” --Matt Eau Claire

Lorenz Craft Spirit won a silver medal and 85 points at the 2020 Bartenders Spirits Awards.

Los Angeles consumers can buy Clear Water Distilling Company's spirits directly from their online store.