Funky Buddha has been making, well, funky, brews in South Florida since 2010. In the years that have passed the brewery has grown from humble beginnings in Boca Raton, Fla. as a small brewpub into a 40,000 square-foot facility powered by a 30-barrel and a three-piece brewhouse that feeds nearly 28,000 barrels of capacity. That kind of growth indicates a rabid base of devotees and a high degree of quality of the beer produced. After winning over much of Florida’s southern areas, the brewery is now migrating north to launch – in a flurry of tasting events – in North Florida and Jacksonville in particular.
Last year, I had the opportunity to visit the Oakland Park, Fla. facility and taste several of the brewer’s beers. As I sipped brews and chatted with the staff it became apparent that the rave reviews and fanatic followers were not exaggerations. The brews were well-made, balanced and tasted exactly as described by the staff. For example, one of Funky Buddha’s most storied brews is its No Crust Brown Ale. It is described as being inspired by a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and, after tasting it, I could taste each individual component of the flavor bringing to mind the crustless sandwiches I used to find in my lunch box as a kid.
According to the brewery’s website:
Funky Buddha Brewery… is committed to producing bold craft beers that marry culinary-inspired ingredients with time-honored technique. Our mantra is big, bold flavors, made exactingly with natural ingredients. So, for example, if we say a beer will taste like peanut butter and jelly, you can be sure you’ll smell and taste the fresh roasted peanuts and fruity berry jam. Our flagship beers such as Hop Gun IPA and Floridian Hefeweizen, also strive towards big, bold flavor. It’s who we are.
You can taste the brews and discover for yourself the appeal of this remarkable brewery at a number of events being hosted around Jacksonville over the next few days. See the list below for when and where.
Tuesday, August 18
- Alewife, 1035 Park Street – 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Blind Rabbit, 901 King Street: a la carte food pairing – 7:30 p.m. to 9:30p.m.
- Kickbacks, 910 King Street – 9:30 p.m. to whenever
Wednesday, August 19
- ABC Fine Wine and Spirits, 295 Royal Palms Drive – 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Royal Palm Village Wine and Tapas, 296 Royal Palms Drive: a la carte food pairings – 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
- Zeta Brewing Company, 131 1st Avenue North: tap enlightenment – 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 20
- Beer:30, 1543 San Marco Boulevard — 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- Kitchen on San Marco, 1402 San Marco Boulevard: a la carte food pairing — 6:30 p.m.to 9:00 p.m.
- Grape & Grain Exchange/The Parlour, 2000 San Marco Boulevard – 9:00 p.m. to whenever
