Situated at 7,760 feet above sea level in Mammoth Lakes, California, Devils Creek Distillery is owned and operated by the Mendel family. Parents John and Luan Mendel, avid skiers, hikers, and outdoor lovers, left Los Angeles in 2013, eager to apply a lifetime of skills and experience to a second act in the rugged Eastern Sierra Nevada. John and Luan were drawn to the idea of an entrepreneurial venture that would involve their entire family, and a lifelong appreciation for fine wines and spirits provided the catalyst for them to enter the burgeoning craft distilling movement in late 2015.
John brought more than 40 years of management experience in the automotive world—first at Ford Motor Company and later at American Honda. You can read more about John’s automotive career in these articles at Bloomberg, the LA Times, and Wards Auto. During his 14-year tenure at Honda, John immersed himself in the Japanese culture and approach to manufacturing. When he retired to pursue what Automotive News described as a “spirited retirement”, John took with him the Japanese concept of monozukuri—roughly translated as the art, science, and craft of making things.
Monozukuri emphasizes the thing being made and the act of making it. Distiller Clayton Mendel stays true to these principles in every step of the process—from selecting the finest grains to sourcing the best barrels—in order to create exceptional whiskeys. Devils Creek Distillery’s transparent approach to craft spirits is a testament to the power of cross-cultural learning and the idea that quality and attention to detail can be applied to any craft, from building cars to making whiskey.
Devils Creek Distillery draws its name from Luan’s novel, Yard Sale, which is set in the fictional ski town of Devils Creek, California. Inspired by the unique and rugged beauty of the Eastern Sierra, the story focuses on the quirks and challenges of life in a ski resort. The town’s—and now the distillery’s—name is a mashup of local landmarks Devils Postpile National Monument and Mammoth Creek.
Step off the beaten path and experience the unexpected; Devils Creek whiskeys reward those with a sense of adventure.