London’s microbrewery helping to satisfy the taste for craft beer around the province, and at home.
Forked River Brewing Company opened its doors in 2013, and in the nearly four years since they have put London on the craft beer map, winning a number of national and international awards with their high-quality, unique, and sought-after brews. Says co-owner David Reed, “Bringing locally-made craft beer to London has been enormously satisfying but, more than that, we’ve been astounded by the enthusiasm people have shown towards Ontario craft beer.” Such fast-paced growth brings its own challenges but, with them, also opportunities.
Each year, Forked River Brewing has required expansion to meet the demand for its many offerings, most recently opening up a tap room and expandedretail store at its location at 45 Pacific Court, in the Argyle area of London. Customers can now stop by the brewery for sample flights or even full pours of their favourites from the ever-changing lineup of products. In fact, it’s not uncommon to enter and find a group enjoying a board or card game along with their brews. They host a number of events in their rustic space, working with other local businesses to offer beer pairings with cheese, chocolates, or even cured meats, in addition to running brewing-related educational programs.
One can find bottles of their two flagship products, Capital Blonde Ale and Riptide Rye Pale Ale, distributed around the province in LCBO and grocery stores, and at local Beer Store outlets. The LCBO also carries such popular seasonal releases as Mojo, a rhubarb wheat ale, as well as Full City Coffee Porter, Red Coat, and Weendigo, a bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout. And while you can find their beers on tap at select locations from Windsor to Ottawa, the full breadth of their releases is available only at the brewery. Co-founder Andrew Peters is especially proud of their barrel-aged beer lineup. “We’ve been honoured with gold, silver, and bronze medals for our barrel-aged and sour beers.” Visitors to their facility can find upwards of 80 barrels at any given time: red and white wine from VQA wineries, as well as bourbon barrels imported directly from Kentucky. “They’re unique and special offerings, some taking up to 18 months of ageing before they’re carefully blended and packaged”, he explains. With that kind of patience and care, it’s not hard to see the passion that the Forked River team has for great beer.
For information about Forked River Brewing Company products visit: www.forkedriverbrewing.com, or stop by the brewery at 45 Pacific Court, London, ON.
