The fruits used include apples, pears, cherries, huckleberries and plums picked over the summer and fall of 2017. Partial proceeds of the Bear Aware Brandy are going to the Revelstoke Bear Aware program.
Maggie Spizzirri, coordinator of Revelstoke’s Bear Aware, was thrilled when McLafferty approached her. “He organized several of his own gleaning projects and did a ton of work. It was really amazing. Some years we have more fruit growing than we know what to do with,” she says. “The best produce always go to the local food bank and, of course, volunteers can take as much as they want. Fruit that is damaged is used to feed pigs and other livestock in the area, so something is eating it.”