I’m going to start out by being perfectly honest. I’ve had a love-hate relationship with the Funky Buddha almost from the day it opened 4 years ago. I always loved the fact that it was somewhere I could get a great beer, but the hookah smoking crowd has never really been my cup of tea.

That all changed one Saturday afternoon in May not too long after I started writing this blog; I met Jim Bast & Ryan Sentz, the owners, at a beer social media gathering. They are truly great guys, who are passionate about brewing (and drinking) beer.  They tried a couple of my home brews and asked questions about my recipes, seemingly really interested in what I was doing. It was probably the first time someone had tried one of my beers that I didn’t already know, and it was really encouraging to have other home brewers interested in my beer. I silently reprimanded myself for letting bratty Boca college kids get between me and good beer people.

We talked a lot that day about their plans to get the brewpub off the ground and the hurdles they faced with the government red tape; it was so wonderful to see them finally throw the doors open with the official “& Brewery” ofter their name this past weekend! Even more exciting than the name change was the line-up of 13 beers that Jim, Ryan and Kevin produced for the opening weekend! I was privileged to try them all, thankfully in 2oz servings, and there really was something for everyone’s tastes. Going forward you’ll be able to try a “5×5 Beer Sampler” for $8 and the pints of their brews for $4-$5.

Hop Gun IPA
Floridian Hefeweizen
Piiti Porter
Missionary Ale
Funky Buddha Stout
Red Dawn Red Ale
Dont Try Amber Ale
Kluster Fuck Rye IPA
Expresso Piiti Porter
Red Rum Oaked Red Ale
Brandy Barrel Piiti Porter
Ordinary Madness Barley Wine
Oak Aged Ordinary Madness

My favorite  beer of the evening was actually a tie between the Don’t Try Amber and the Brandy Barrel Porter. Both beers were wonderfully complex and interesting, but the best part? Both were super-drinkable! I would have no problem downing a pint or more of either I also got to see the brew set up that has been talked about a lot these past months, and boy am I jealous. The shiny, gleaming 1.5bbl setup that they bought from the guys at Holy Mackerel is just gorgeous; I know, I know…..most girls wouldn’t describe beer machinery as “gorgeous”, but hey, it is!

Please take the drive down to Boca and check the Funky Buddha’s new venture out, it’s definitely worth it!

The Funky Buddhais located at 2621 N. Federal Hwy, Boca Raton FL 33431. Phone (561) 368-4643