What Inspired Funky Picnic to Start Brewing

Below is a list of some of the many beers, breweries, and bars that have been foundational in making Funky Picnic Brewery & Café what it is today.  Some of these were specific beers that we modeled ours after, and some were places that gave us the spark to do the things we do.

Peticolas Brewing Company, Velvet Hammer:

Peticolas Brewing Company is where our Head Brewer cut his teeth after brewing school and was introduced to his beer mentor, Michael Peticolas. I also caught the bug to start a brewery of my own.  In February 2013, I took a week to help clean kegs, run sales orders, and brew beer with the Peticolas team.  Michael Peticolas also single-handedly helped to change the zoning laws in Dallas to allow for production breweries to be open within the city limits.  This sparked the first wave of foundational breweries in Dallas, including Deep Ellum and Four Corners.  No mention of Peticolas Brewing Company is complete without a mention of their 9% flagship Imperial Red Ale, Velvet Hammer.

Live Oak Brewing, Hefeweizen:

Live Oak is one of the oldest “craft breweries” in Texas.  They were even around before “craft” was a term, and yet they still exude the qualities of a craft brewery.  Live Oak was also the first brewery I ever visited back in 2009, and they showed me what beer could really be.  One of their flagship beers is Live Oak Hefeweizen, and it is one of the best German-Style Weissbiers brewed west of the Atlantic Ocean.  We like it so much that we modeled our It’s Called Lovebus Hefeweizen after it. 

Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner Bock:

Even older than Live Oak is the Spoetzl Brewery located in Shiner, Texas.  Some might not call them craft, but for the longest time, they were the go-to widely available beer that wasn’t Bud, Miller, or Coors.  It is a beer with some semblance of flavor that you could find almost anywhere in Texas.  So much so that when we were about to open, we needed to find a beer that wasn’t too light (like our La Raza Mexican Lager) or too dark (like our Virtuous Stout) and could appease those Shiner Bock drinkers.  We didn’t have enough time to brew a lager, so we settled on an Extra Special Bitter, and that’s how Funny Accent was born.

Grupo Modelo, Modelo Especial:

When we first began brewing beers before we opened and began hiring for front and back-of-house staff, we wanted to get a feel for what everyone liked (because if your team doesn’t like it, no one will!).  Our burgeoning kitchen staff loved Modelo Especial, so we began to model our Mexican Lager (La Raza) after it.  There may have been a few unopened bottles of Modelo that were found in our dumpster during construction as well.

Small Brewpub, Black Pepper Pils:

While living in Oak Cliff, Small Brewpub became a consistent hangout for myself and my friends.  Coupled with an eclectic kitchen and full bar, Small helped spark my imagination of what Funky Picnic could be.  Small Brewpub is closed now, but founder, Aaron Garcia, is working on a new concept near Fair Park called Wriggly Tin.  Hopefully, they bring back foundational beers like their Black Pepper Pils and Underdog Hazy IPA.

Other Inspirations:

While we were still homebrewers, we greatly benefitted from other breweries and businesses hosting various competitions to help our name become more recognizable in the area, like Martin House Brewing Company (Riverside Shootout), Rahr & Sons Brewing (Iron Mash), and Go Oak Cliff (Brew Riot).  Not to mention The Cap and Hare Homebrew Club, which we joined as brand-new homebrewers.  Bars and other beer establishments like The Meddlesome Moth, The Gingerman, and The Flying Saucer were also fundamental in introducing us to new styles and beers from across the world and how well they can pair with various types of food.

Head Brewer, Michael Harper, also credits beers like Peticolas Wintervention, Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale, Avery Maharaja, Maredsous 8, and Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co. Rocket 100 as being foundational to the beer he brews today.

Author: Collin Zreet

Collin Zreet is a native Texan and is a founding member and co-owner of Funky Picnic Brewery and Café. He is a Certified Cicerone and Certified BJCP Beer Judge, specializing in beer and food pairings. When he is not thinking about beer, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Taylor, son, Alder, and dog, Rocco.