As ill-timed as a venture could possibly be, Matt and Stephanie Eau Claire’s Clearwater Distilling opened in March—yes, that March—complete with a tasting room and package store in Pleasant Grove. Matt makes what we’d call deep-shelf spirits that should be front-shelf stars. Take the Josephine. Named after the cabaret star and WWII French resistance spy Josephine Baker, this eau de vie is a mashup of a clear, un-aged brandy and a rum. Their Lorenz (a nod to Danish Arctic explorer Lorenz Peter Freuchen) is a clear rum with heady notes of cinnamon.
A distillery in Utah County? Is that even legal? Actually, yes. Just that no one had ever tried before. Matt and Stephanie waded into the morass of city and county regulations, public meetings, zoning laws, and skeptical Utah County officialdom to prove that yes, distilling is a legal venture, even in Utah County. Welcomed by the City of Pleasant Grove, Clearwater Distilling became the first, ever legal distilling operation in Happy Valley.
564 W. 700 South, Ste. 401, Pleasant Grove
801-997-8667
Each year, Salt Lake Magazine editors honor growers, food evangelists, grocers, servers, bakers, chefs, bartenders and restaurateurs with the Blue Plate Awards. A Blue Plate Award is given to an establishment or an individual who has done more than put good food on the table. They’ve created culture, made acts of kindness and education and are paragons of service that goes beyond. To see the full list of winners, click here.
