The Oakland Park brewery opened in June 2013, expanding operations from the success of its small, Boca Raton-based brewpub. In just a few short years, Funky Buddha has put South Florida on the craft beer map and has become a trailblazer in the local beer scene, paving the way for more breweries both north and south of the Broward County line.
Over the years, Funky Buddha has received many accolades and awards: Its beers can now be found on draft at more than 2,000 bars and restaurants nationwide; it's reached a brewing capacity of 22,000 barrels annually; the brewery was featured as one of the favorites in Esquire Network's Brew Dogs; it's been named one of the top 100 breweries in the world by Rate Beer; and brews like Last Snow and Maple Bacon Coffee Porter have been scored as some of the best in the world.
Now, the brewery is making even bigger strides, moving into the restaurant business. Just yesterday Funky Buddha announced it will be adding a full-service kitchen — Craft Food Counter & Kitchen — into the mix, making way for in-house pairing dinners and creative fare for hungry (and thirsty) patrons alike.
To celebrate all of this good news, Funky Buddha is planning its second-anniversary celebration on May 30. This epic, daylong festival will feature live music, food trucks and food vendors, and dozens of specialty releases from Funky Buddha, as well as a number of South Florida breweries. From noon to 10 p.m., come out and enjoy a few brewskis, painting from local artists, and of course all that beer.
If you're feeling hungry, dozens of food vendors will be onsite throughout the event, including Chaco's Chinese Tacos, Conch Shack, Sidecar Kitchen, Spring In, Roll Out, and Diablo Dogs — as well as several dessert-themed trucks.
To keep the lines moving quickly and efficiently, the brewery will be using beer tickets. No ticket equals no beer. Tickets are good for the day of the event only and are nonrefundable. This year, there will be two main booths to purchase tickets, which go for $6 each and are good for any beer onsite. Depending on the type of beer, pour sizes may vary, and some beers will take two tickets.
The 2015 anniversary tap list includes Funky Buddha drafts: Hop Gun IPA, Floridian Hefeweizen, Crusher Session IPA, Doc Brown Ale, OP Porter, Tripel Lindy Belgian Tripel, Small Axe Big IPA, On Top Blonde, Fuhgeddaboudit Red Ale, Uncle Vucub's Imperial Stout,
Wide Awake It's Morning Imperial Maple Bacon Coffee Porter, Dread Pirate Roberts Imperial Stout (with raspberries, coconut, and chocolate), I'm So Excited, I'm Scared Imperial Stout (with coffee), Bonita Applebum, Blueberry Cobbler Ale, Raspberry Floridian, French Toast Double Brown Ale, More Moro Blood Orange IPA, It's Brown Double Brown Ale, Last Snow, Up Pip's Kriek, Gypsy Tactics, Nikolai Vorlauf Imperial Russian Stout, Maple Bacon Coffee Porter, Bourbon Barrel-Aged Nikolai Vorlauf, Cabernet Barrel-Aged Nikolai Vorlauf, Love Below (Cabernet Barrel-Aged Nikolai Vorlauf with chocolate and cherries), Randy's Old Fashioned, Chocolate Salty Balls, Big Guava Jelly Blonde, Nano-Nano (collaboration with Dogfish Head Brewing), Hop Breath Extra Pale Ale, Key Lime Pie Berlinerweiss, No Crusts Peanut Butter & Jelly Brown Ale, Don't Tell Reece, French Oak Hop Gun, Floridian Gone Wild, and Sex Panther.
Guest drafts will include beers from Angry Chair, Copperpoint Brewing Co., Barrel of Monks, and Barley Mow. Scheduled draughts will feature: 7th Sun Do You Even Sudachi, Bro?, B Nektar Scurvy Shyster Bastard, B Nektar There Will Be Blood Orange, Bell's Boiling Point Ale, Bell's Wild One, Cigar City Brewing Cider Pink Shirt, Cigar City Brewing Cider Prickly Pear, Cigar City Brewing El Murcielago, Cigar City Brewing Sherry Barrel-Aged Zhukov, Dogfish Head 2013 120 Minute IPA, Dogfish Head 2014 Raison D'Extra, Engine 15 Orange Cream Ale, Engine 15 Weissguy, Fat Head Barrel-Aged Battle Axe, Fat Head Goggle Fogger Hefe, J Wakefield Brewing Dragonfruit Passionfruit Berlinerweiss, J Wakefield Brewing Vanilla Russian Imperial Stout, Lauderale Coconut Porter, Lauderale Therapy Session, MIA Brewing Bock Party Mai Bock, MIA Brewing Siete Potencias Tangerine Ginger Berlinerweiss, Saltwater Brewing Co. Black Currant
Wicked Weed Serenity, and Wynwood Brewing Co. Imperial Pop's Porter.
The live music schedule for the day includes:
- Crazy Fingers (Grateful Dead tribute) at 1 p.m.
- Sosos (Front Porch Acoustic Rock) at 3:30 p.m.
- The Hoy Polloy (Alternative Indie Progressive Rock) at 6 p.m.
- The Resolvers (Big Band Reggae) at 8:30 p.m.
- Main parking for the festival will be located at 4100 N. Dixie Highway, two blocks north of the brewery. Parking will cost $5, and includes a complimentary shuttle during peak hours. For more parking information visit the Facebook event page.
- Tickets can be purchased using cash or credit / debit cards. ATMs will be located near the ticket tents.
- Outside bottles or bottle sharing will not be permitted on premises during the event.
- If you plan on drinking a ton, this year Funky Buddha has partnered with Uber to ensure there's plenty of safe public transportation to and from the festival. Uber will be offering $20 off your first ride for festival goers with the coupon code "GETFUNKY."
- If you can't make it to the anniversary party on Saturday, for whatever lame reason that might be, the Boca Raton brewpub lounge is throwing a pre-party starting at 4 p.m. on Friday where they will be releasing some of Funky's favorite beers including Maple Bacon Coffee Porter, No Crusts, Vanilla Espresso Piiti Porter, Nib Smuggler, Chocolate Whiskey Cake, and a few specialty berliners.
Nicole Danna is a food writer covering Broward and Palm Beach counties. To get the latest in food and drink news in South Florida, follow her @SoFloNicole or find her latest food pics on the BPB New Times Food & Drink Instagram.
