Funky Buddha Announces Maple Bacon Coffee Porter Street Festival

It's Maple Bacon Coffee Porter time again. The Broward-based Funky Buddha Brewery has set the date for its most sought-after annual release and street festival for January 9.

But before you mark your calendars, there are a few changes to the 2016 event you should know about. And record another date: November 23, the day Maple Bacon Coffee Porter fest tickets go on sale.

Due to its overwhelming popularity, Maple Bacon Coffee Porter Day is now a ticketed event, says Funky Buddha Brand Manager John Linn. While that might sound less appealing than free access, it's actually good news: Paying attendees are now guaranteed to receive a bottle of the one-time annual Maple Bacon Coffee porter release — and no one will feel the need to camp out in the parking lot at 5 a.m. to snag a spot in line for tickets.

This year, Funky Buddha has also moved the location of its street festival to nearby Jaco Pastorius Park in Oakland Park and will limit the event to just 4,000 attendees. In past years, the brewery would host the release, welcoming as many as 6,000 visitors during the daylong, beer-focused festival.

Packaged in 22-ounce bottles and sold exclusively during the annual street festival and bottle event, the Maple Bacon Coffee Porter release is part of a day's worth of festivities that will include food provided by Funky Buddha's own Craft Food Counter & Kitchen, live music provided by Brotherly Love Productions, and multiple bars indoors and outdoors pouring more than 100 local and national brews.

With high marks from national beer rating sites like BeerAdvocate.com (99 out of 100) and RateBeer.com (100 out of 100), this highly sought-after beer was first brewed at the Funky Buddha Lounge & Brewery in Boca Raton and has since earned acclaim for its combination of sticky-sweet maple syrup, fresh roasted coffee, and salty-smokey bacon. Last year, it was also the first specialty bottle to be released by the Funky Buddha Brewery production facility in Oakland Park.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. November 23. General admission is $30 and includes one bottle of Maple Bacon Coffee Porter. Full Bottle Access sells for $75 per person and will get you admission to the event and four bottles. VIP admission is $130 per person and allows for access starting at 3 p.m., a one-hour rare beer sampling, and four bottles.

The 2016 Maple Bacon Coffee Porter bottle release and street festival will take place at Jaco Pastorius Park in Oakland Park from 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday, January 9. For a complete list of beers that will be on tap and event information, visit FunkyBuddhaBrewery.com.

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.