Steve McCarthy, a leading figure in the American single malt whiskey industry, has passed away at the age of 79

Five days before turning 80, Steve McCarthy, the father of the American single malt category and one of the first pioneers of artisan distilling, passed away on January 2.

At a period when American artisan distilling was all but nonexistent—St. George Spirits and brandy producer Germain-Robin had opened in 1982, but fellow pioneer Anchor Distilling would not fire up until 1993—McCarthy founded Oregon’s Clear Creek Distillery in 1985.

McCarthy’s single malt, his iconic whiskey creation, is still a leading figure in the modern American single malt industry.

Brandy, not whiskey, was McCarthy’s first love. He returned to Oregon resolved to become a distiller in the early 1980s after sampling Eaux-de-vie made with pears while traveling through France. This native Oregonian’s goal was to use the apple and pear orchards owned by his family to effectively produce eaux-de-vie from fruit from the Pacific Northwest.

A few years later, after visiting Ireland, he made the decision to attempt manufacturing whiskey. A later trip to Scotland resulted in a deeper exploration of single malt scotch. He started working on creating an Oregon version of Scotland’s finest in 1991 when he distilled his first batch of whiskey.

McCarthy’s was first offered as an Oregon Single Malt in 1996. It was aged in sherry barrels and finished in Oregon oak. To respect his family, the name was chosen.

McCarthy sold Clear Creek to Hood River Distillers in 2014 while continuing to serve as an advisor. There, McCarthy’s single malt is still produced under the direction of head distiller Caitlin Bartelmay and master distiller Joe O’Sullivan.