Funky Buddha Brewery


Funky Buddha Brewery is a large brewery in Florida. Its headquarters are in Oakland Park. It is owned by Constellation Brands.

The early years

It started when a Florida couple bought small brewhouse, hookah lounge and live music venue in Boca Raton, Florida in 2006. On February 5, 2010, founders Ryan and Giana Sentz moved to another location and began brewing their own beers in September. The new location, also in Boca Raton, was named Funky Buddha Lounge and Brewery. In 2012, Funky Buddha announced it would begin using the Cigar City Brewing system to brew and bottle their beer and begin distribution. In the same year they opened a homebrew supply store at the lounge and brewery. The Boca Raton location has a 55 US gallon brewhouse. It was the second production brewery to open in Broward and Palm Beach counties, following Due South Brewing. Funky Buddha's success "helped pave the way for what is now a thriving local brew scene".

Growth

In 2013, with the help of his brother KC Sentz, Ryan Sentz opened a second location and production facility in Oakland Park. The Oakland Park location is a building with a taproom with 30 draft lines. Each year since 2013 after every National Football League team has lost a game in the season the brewery has released a limited edition brew, Undefeated Saison, to commemorate that the Miami Dolpins undefeated season remains unmatched.
In 2014, Funky Buddha's Floridian was available at 400 restaurants in South Florida. At that time Floridian accounted for half of the beer the brewery made and sold. Celebrity Cruises announced a four-day Funky Buddha Craft Beer Cruise in 2014 scheduled for March 2015. In 2015 the brewery sold making it a "regional" facility as designated by the Brewers Association. Also that year Funky Buddha's distribution expanded to include North Florida.

Sale

Funky Buddha is the largest brewer and most popular tap room in Florida based on dollar sales. The brewery is known for its Maple Bacon Coffee Porter and Hopgun IPA beers. On August 10, 2017 it was announced that Constellation Brands had bought Funky Buddha for an undisclosed price. Ryan and KC Sentz will continue to run day-to-day operations. After celebrating its 7th anniversary, the original Boca Raton Funky Buddha Lounge was sold to Allen Steen in 2017 and rebranded Robot Brewing Co.

Awards