Our beer

At Three Forks, our mission is to brew delicious, well balanced beers.  We love hoppy West Coast Ales, we love German Lagers, we love rich Stouts and Porters – big beers, light beers, and everything in between.  Balance. The big hop beers have a solid malt backbone to stand on.  The big malt beers have enough hop bitterness to compliment any perceived sweetness.  Most of our base malt and specialty malts are sourced from Rahr Malting and Briess Malting in North America but we also showcase some of the finest malts in the world including Castle Malts from Belgium, Weyerman Malts from Germany, and Crisp Malts from England. Our hops come primarily from the hop growing capital of the world (or craft brew world anyway), the hop-lush Yakima Valley in Washington state.

Our Brewer

Dave Cowie started brewing at home in April 1991.  His passion and zeal to make great beers was immediate, even if his beer’s greatness wasn’t quite so.  He brewed with extracts for a couple years before jumping into all grain in 1993.  His first all grain beer (a German Maibock) was his best to date and had him solidly hooked.  Over the years he continued to refine and improve his process, equipment and recipes.  He loved to brew for friends, and events, and provided beer for a number of weddings.  His friends were effusive in their praise for his brewing and often urged him to go pro.  But he resisted, often with the line, “Why would I want to turn a perfectly good hobby into a job?”  Then, when circumstances lead him to consider a career change back in 2011, he thought, “Why wouldn’t  I want to turn a perfectly good hobby into my job?”  And so with much enthusiasm, he dedicated himself to brewing professionally.  Best decision he’s ever made (well, second best, according to his wife, Michelle).

The Brewery

We brew on a 7 bbl (1 bbl = 1 barrel = 31 gallons)  brewhouse from Premier Stainless Systems. Our brewery is made up of an insulated mash tun and boil kettle with a brewhouse pump and heat exchanger built into the piping manifold and brew platform between the two.  We have four 7 bbl temperature controlled fermentation vessels.  We dispense our beer from a combination of four 7 bbl serving tanks and kegs located in our brewery walk-in.

Beer Menu

Currently on tap

.

Mother’s Beach Blonde

This German Munich Helles lager style is brewed with an ale yeast, a large amount of Munich and Vienna Malts and is hopped with German Hallertau. It has a refreshing clean crispness but with a more malty finish than its Pilsner cousin.  16 IBU’s. 5.1% abv. 

Oak Tree Pale Ale

A blend of Crystal and Munich malts give this American Pale Ale just the right malt balance to compliment the assertive hop citrus aroma. Hopped with Chinook, Amarillo, Cascade and Northern Brewer. 42 IBU’s. 5.9% abv.

Emerald Pool IPA

Our version of this West Coast standard is brewed using an English Ale yeast, Munich, wheat, and two different types of caramel malts, and leaves a less dry, more full finish.  Magnum, Northern Brewer, Cascade, and Centennial hops give this IPA a flowery aroma that blends perfectly with the malt. 53 IBU’s. 6.5% abv.

Rush Creek Red IPA

Caravienne, Munich, Vienna, and seven other malts combine with six hop varieties to make Rush Creek Red IPA a hoppy AND Malty ale, finely balanced, with a clean, crisp, satisfying finish. Dry hopped with Cascade, Centennial, Northern Brewer, Chinook, and CTZ. 61 IBU’s. 6.6% abv. 

Dynamite Double IPA

A hophead’s dream, and not just a hoptical delusion, this IIPA has a hopscene amount of hops but finishes clean, and dry.  Double dry-hopped with Amarillo, Centennial, Chinook, Cascade, and CTZ.  Only 99.99 IBU’s! 8.3% abv.

Easy Ugly Stout

Dark Munich, Chocolate, Black and Black Roasted malts combined with four other malts create a luxuriously rich, smooth satisfying American Stout with distinct chocolate and roasted notes. Chinook, Cascade, and Northern Brewer hops blend together to perfectly balance the rich flavor. 61 IBU’s. 6.4% abv.

Malakoff Maibock

This German Pale Bock lager style, brewed with an ale yeast, was traditionally released in May (Mai). Lighter than a traditional German Bock, our Maibock has a strong backbone of Pilsner and Munich malts to give it a nice malty body, and is crisply balanced by Perle and Tettnang hops.  Clean and delicious, one of the Brewer’s favorites.  37 IBU’s. 6.5% abv

Seasonal Brews

Redoubtable Red

 This complex full bodied Imperial Red Ale packs a malty, caramel, hoppy, warming alcohol punch.  Hints of raisin, and toffee from Caramel and Caravienne malts meld with the crisp floral citrus hop aroma creating  a big, satisfying beer.  Ruby red and delicious! 85 IBU’s, 9.5% abv. 

Endangered Red Ale

 This limited edition red ale donates a portion of the profit from the sale to the South Yuba River Citizen League’s (SYRCL) work to restore wild chinook salmon to the Yuba Watershed. Hopped with 100% chinook hops, and using 9 different malts, this complex, balanced red has a nice malt body to complement the crisp pine hop presence from the chinook. 43 IBU’s. 5.8% abv. 

Birthday Suit Nut Brown Ale

This smooth, full bodied tawny Brown Ale is rich and complex, with a slightly toasty, roasty, nutty flavor and a clean finish.  31 IBU’s. 5.8% abv.

Purdon Porter

Chocolate, Black, and English Brown malts give this porter a nice dry roasted finish with hints of coffee and chocolate in the aroma. 37 IBU’s. 5.9% abv. 

Downhill Dortmunder 

A variation on a classic German Lager (using an Ale yeast).  This crisp golden beer is made from German Pilsner, Vienna, and Munich malts and lightly hopped with Hallertau, Tettnang and Perle. Smooth and drinkable, crisp and refreshing.  24 IBU’s, 4.9% abv

Deer Creek Dunkel

A German style dark lager made predominantly with light and dark munich malts imparting a subtle sweetness and hints of nut, caramel, and toffee. Lightly hopped with German Perle, Tettnang, and Hallertau. Smooth and drinkable, balanced on the malty side.  23 IBU’s. 5% abv.

Humbug Harvest

A German Oktoberfest lager style brewed with an ale yeast celebrating Autumn harvest. A deep orange color and full malty body highlight this smooth drinkable German favorite.  Made with German Pilsner, Vienna, and Munich Malts.  Lightly hopped with Perle and Tettnang. 25 IBU’s. 6.0% abv. 

Woodstack Red Ale

A combination of three different caramel malts balance this mildly hoppy amber ale. Dry hopped with Chinook, Cascade, Amarillo, and CTZ.  42 IBU’s. 6.2% abv.

Mud In Your Eye Rye IPA

A complex grain bill including 15% Rye malt adds a slight spicy and dry character to the finish of this dark, hoppy ale.  Hopped with Chinook, Perle, Cascade, Centennial, Willamette, and CTZ. 55 IBU’s. 6.4% abv. 

Quoth the Raven Imperial Stout

This is a BIG beer.  With notes of chocolate, berry, vanilla and an evident warmth from the alcohol, this Imperial Stout is smooth, delicious, and satisfying.  A great companion to sweet desserts, especially chocolate.  99 IBU’s.