Meet the Brewers
The three founders are not simply looking to make great beer - their popular homebrew is a testament to their ability to make that for themselves. What Dave, Andrew, and Steve wanted to do most was to make great beer professionally. They felt that not only did their fellow Londoners deserve truly outstanding handcrafted beer, but they also deserved their own microbrewery.
And so was born the Forked River Brewing Company.
Andrew Peters, M.SC.
Andrew Peters didn't always love beer. Sure, he liked it, but the passion came later in life. A self-confessed "deal addict", Andrew saw a sale on the Mr. Beer homebrewing kit and thought it might be fun to try out. The deal fell through, but his interest had been piqued. As a scientist, Andrew spent his days taking care of living cells and performing cutting edge research.
Andrew's passion for exploring the world of beer, its styles, and brewing techniques had been ignited andafter connecting with fellow homebrewers through online clubs (Members of Barleyment based in Ottawa and Southern Ontario Brewers out of Toronto), things began to accelerate. Andrew got pulled along into larger batches, working with more refined equipment, participating in large bulk buys of supplies, and he began to talk even more about the hobby. Pursuing his passion led him to enter a national homebrew competition, winning a gold medal with his first ever entry.
David Reed, B.E.Sc., P. Eng.
David’s first real introduction to the amazing world of beer came soon after his graduation from The University of Western Ontario in 1998 while working internationally in the automotive field. It was 2004 when David started brewing his own beer with the help of a fellow London homebrewer. His desire to start and operate his own brewery began then, and has grown ever since.
While Dave planned, he had the opportunity to manage the development of several products in the beverage industry, working alongside the likes of Pepsi and Anheuser-Busch InBev. His successes resulted in several patents, both issued and pending. Not only does he have an enviable small-scale commercial grade brewing system at home, but he’s managed to produce award winning beers. From malty blonde ales to crisp wheat beers to big barleywines, Dave’s proficiency at the helm won him 3 gold medals in 2012.
Dave now has a new focus and is committed to serving London, one great pint at a time!
Steven Nazarian, Ph.D.
It was 2004 before Steven Nazarian found a world of beer that didn't include mass-produced, light lager. While attending an academic conference in the U.K. he found himself exploring the pub culture, with their wide assortment of beers, including cask ales. There, the seed was planted and, eventually, Steve got into homebrewing with encouragement from our very own Andrew Peters.
Within months of brewing his first small batch of American amber ale on his stovetop, Steven was brewing 10 gallon batches into kegs and was serving to friends and family out of a dedicated, converted chest freezer.
Dr. Nazarian is our resident perfectionist. This trait, together with his education in microbiology and biochemistry and his experience in the biotechnology sector, allows him to bring an analytical eye to everything we do. Most recently, his Belgian dark strong ale was selected for the final round National Homebrew Competition held in the U.S., where it scored highly. You’d better believe we'll be making that one at Forked River!