The name of Twin Fork Beer Company has many meanings. It’s owned by two brothers, twins Dan and Pete Chekijian, who grew up in Calverton. They started the business back in 2014, contract brewing their product, until October 2020 when they built their current tasting room in Riverhead.
Growing up, the Chekijian household was full of music. Their father, who is a classically trained pianist, had the children all take piano lessons and as they grew up, they moved onto more instruments. This admiration for music translated the brewery’s logo, a tuning fork as the logo. It’s in the name, on all their packaging and is also the tap handle at bars and restaurants.
At their relatively new tasting room in Riverhead, notes of their love for music can be further seen. All of their beers are named after music terms. They have a chromatic ale, a crescendo IPA and a Sonata lager ale. The space itself is industrial. They built a massive warehouse where the space is split in two. The front part is the tasting room with a bar, spaced out tables, glass garage doors that open out onto a patio with corn hole and more tables. The back and much larger space is where they brew. All of the stainless steel equipment is set up in the middle of the room with plenty of leftover spaces for private events. They are even hoping to finish a second level in the next few years for another event space overlooking the brewing equipment.
“I designed the tasting room, the brewhouse, the layout,” Pete Chekijian said. “Hopefully, we will be able to add another 3,000 square feet of event space with glass windows overlooking the brew floor.”
The tasting room at Twin Fork Beer Co. (credit: Felicia LaLomia). 
The tasting room at Twin Fork Beer Co. (credit: Felicia LaLomia). 
The tasting room at Twin Fork Beer Co. (credit: Felicia LaLomia). 
The tasting room at Twin Fork Beer Co. (credit: Felicia LaLomia). 
The tasting room at Twin Fork Beer Co. (credit: Felicia LaLomia). 
The tasting room at Twin Fork Beer Co. (credit: Felicia LaLomia). 
The tasting room at Twin Fork Beer Co. (credit: Felicia LaLomia). 
The tasting room at Twin Fork Beer Co. (credit: Felicia LaLomia).
Along with the six beers on tap, they also have a hard cider and a rotating local rosé. Currently, it’s one from Raphael. For $30, there’s also a charcuterie board that comes with a wooden board with the Twin Fork logo on it that you get to keep.
The space is also home to weekly events/ A popular one is beer yoga. For $25 every Thursday from 5 to 6 p.m., you can participate in a yoga class, indoors or outdoors depending on the weather, followed by a fresh pint of beer. They also have trivia every Wednesday and live music most weekends. On July 10 in their tasting rooms they will be hosting a guitar show where dozens of guitars will be on display and for sale. Live music, burgers and beer will also be there.
Because the brand has been around since 2014, the team at Twin Fork Beer is happy to have a home in the flourishing Riverhead beer scene. “Everyone’s always there to help each other out.” Savannah Kurz, general manager said. “It’s super fun that you have so many people that are close to you because they do well, we do well. And when people come to see us, we tell them to check out our friends down the road and vice versa.” Twin Fork tasting room is one of six in about a two mile radius.
“Riverhead has become more of a destination,” Pete Chekijian added. “You have these breweries and tasting rooms and restaurants. You can spend a whole day here. We actually have bus tours that come around here. And they’ll just hit the local six breweries that are running.”
Twin Fork Beer Co. is perfectly tucked away right off Old Country Rd. at 807 Raynor Ave, Riverhead. They are open Wednesday and Thursday 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
