Devils Creek Distillery sits at 8,000 feet elevation in Mammoth Lakes, making it one of the highest-altitude distilleries in North America. Founded by David Page in 2018, this craft operation occupies a converted warehouse space on Commerce Drive, where the Sierra Nevada’s thin air and pristine water create unique conditions for distilling. Page, a former tech executive from Silicon Valley, traded his corporate career for copper stills after falling in love with the area during ski trips. The journey from idea to opening took nearly four years, with Page navigating California’s complex distilling regulations and convincing local officials that a distillery could thrive in a mountain resort town. He partnered with master distiller Jim Bendis, whose background includes stints at several California craft distilleries. Their philosophy centers on showcasing how altitude affects fermentation and aging, using locally sourced grains when possible and the area’s naturally soft snowmelt water. The 3,000-square-foot facility houses a 500-gallon copper pot still and smaller experimental equipment, producing vodka, gin, and whiskey in small batches. The tasting room features floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Eastern Sierra peaks, creating an atmosphere that’s part laboratory, part mountain lodge. You’ll taste spirits while learning how thin air speeds fermentation and how dramatic temperature swings affect aging in ways that lowland distilleries can’t replicate.