Funky Buddha joins Constellation Brands

Purchase reinforces Constallation Brands' high-end beer strategy

Constellation Brands Inc., Victor, N.Y., announced its purchase of Oakland Park, Fla.-based Funky Buddha Brewery, reinforcing its strategy to lead the high-end beer segment in the United States. Funky Buddha will join Constellation’s Craft & Specialty Beer Group.

Funky Buddha Lounge & Brewery was founded in 2010 in Boca Raton, Fla., by husband and wife Ryan and Giani Sentz. As the demand for Funky Buddha’s beers increased, Ryan and Giani invited Ryan’s brother KC Sentz and his wife, Melissa Sentz, to join the business. In 2013, the Sentz family started Funky Buddha Brewery with a 54,000-square-foot facility that has a capacity of 45,000 barrels.

“We chose to partner with Constellation because we saw an alignment in vision and felt they gave us the greatest opportunity for growth and development,” Funky Buddha Head Brewer and President Ryan Sentz said in a statement. “Constellation and Funky Buddha share a lot of the same ideals and passions for philanthropy, entrepreneurship and the art of craft beer. At the end of the day, we just really like the people we have met within the organization, each of whom share our dedication to making outstanding beer.”

In 2016, Funky Buddha Brewery received five gold medals in RateBeer’s Best Awards.

“Adding a fantastic regional brand such as Funky Buddha to our craft beer portfolio, along with Ballast Point, advances our strategy in continuing to lead the high-end beer segment,” said Paul Hetterich, executive vice president and president of the beer division at Constellation Brands.

Constellation Brands and Funky Buddha Brewery’s team of employees will continue to work together, with Ryan and KC Sentz running the day-to-day operations. BI

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