Funkin’ Good Brews at Funk Brewing

Funk Brewing was founded by Kyle Funk “on a true respect and passion for both the art of brewing and the craft beer that comes from it.”

The brewery is located in the bright red painted building, a former auto garage, at South 6th and Bank streets, behind Joe’s Pizza in Emmaus, PA. While they have been brewing beer at this location for several months, beer could only be sold off-premise until recently. The ordinance was approved in September by Emmaus Borough Council, allowing beer to be served at the brewery.

Head brewer Joe Percoco brews on a 15 barrel system. There are four fermenters of three different sizes: 15 barrel, 30 barrel, and 40 barrel. Percoco brings experience from brewing jobs at Weyerbacher, Saucony Creek, and Barley Creek. Currently, Funk Brewing is limited to 15,000 barrels a year because they are located in the borough’s central business district.

When we arrived, the large L-shaped bar was packed with visitors enjoying samples of Funk brews. A chalkboard on the wall listed the offerings, but the brewing system and fermenters along the right side of the building caught my attention first.

There were motorcycles on display including the 2014 Yamaha Bolt at the brewery from Blackmans Cycle Center in Emmaus and a Christmas tree decorated in front of the fermenters. I hung out at the end of the bar by the shark art.

For $8, patrons receive a tour of the brewery and a complimentary tasting of 7 beers, which usually includes a firkin. The firkin often includes a base beer with some creative ingredient added. Past offerings included Oatmeal Cream Ale with coconut and lime, Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cream Ale, and Golden Ale dry hopped with Simcoe, Ahtanum and Nugget hops.

During my visit, the bartender Alec served up 6 tasty brews:

My favorite was Farmhouse Porter. The unique, lighter-bodied porter was fermented with the farmhouse yeast that was used to ferment Falliage, their fall seasonal.  Funk Brewing’s flagship beer is Citrus IPA, which is brewed with 1,100 pounds of barley and 33 pounds of hops, including an experimental hop called LemonBomb.

I was also impressed by Double Red. The complex reddish copper IPA was brewed with several specialty malts and fermented on French oak. Copious amounts of hops were added throughout the brewing process, offering strong hop character.

To celebrate Thanksgiving Eve, Funk Brewing will open at 4PM, and the fall seasonal Falliage will be tapped for one night only. The highly aromatic Belgian Saison was brewed with Vienna and Caramel malts, Noble hops, and a blend of Chai spices including ginger, cinnamon, and allspice. Growlers of Falliage will also be available to go for only $10.

This Friday, November 28, Funk Brewing will open early at 2PM. The winter seasonal White Christmas will be released. This Belgian White Grand Cru style beer is brewed with Chardonnay Grape Must. Alec gave me a sample of the winter brew, and it is quite tasty. Also, a Black Cherry Stout is set to be released the first week of December.

Funk Brewing is definitely a brewery to watch. In the future, they plan to sell food, perhaps handmade hot dogs from a local business, including jalapeño cheddar hot dogs! I suggest visiting on a Friday, so you can sample one of the tasty firkin brews!

brewery, Emmaus, Funk Brewing Company, Pennsylvania