Funktastic Beer, the craft beer arm of the Midlothian meadery Funktastic Meads, opened on April 4, 2024. Owners Matthew and Heather Carroll branched the business out into craft beer roughly two years after the meadery itself opened, and the Midlothian Business Alliance announced the opening to its membership in March 2024 as "Midlothian's next brewery."
At a glance
What: The opening of Funktastic Beer, a craft beer operation added to the Funktastic Meads taproom
Who: Owners Matthew and Heather Carroll
When: April 4, 2024
Where: Funktastic Meads & Beer, 1212 Alverser Plaza, Midlothian, VA 23113
What opened
The meadery opened in January 2022 with a 90s-centric craft vibe, which the owners considered a fitting setting for craft beer. The Carrolls drew on long-term relationships with breweries including The Answer Brewpub of Henrico, VA and Funguys Brewing of Raleigh, NC to get the beer program off the ground.
Three beers were available on tap at opening: a Japanese-style rice lager, a bold pastry-style stout and a fruited sour. Patrons also had the option of in-house cans — lagers, IPAs, DIPAs and seltzers — and 4-packs to go. The to-go packaging program let patrons assemble their own 4-pack from whatever was available.