8-25-26 – Matt Carroll – Funktastic Meads & Beer in Midlothian Virginia

Tonight we're talking with Matt Carroll, owner of Funktastic Meads & Beer in Midlothian, VA.

About 10 years ago, Funktastic Brewing was born, focused on beer and, in particular, utilizing every kid’s cereal you can think of. This was before brewing with kid’s cereal in beer was actually a thing. Then, Matt was introduced to mead, 6 years later.

Matt Carroll, Chemist by training and Owner of Funktastic Meads And Beer got his start in the industry as a Home Brewer and Home Meadmaker.  As a self proclaimed "beer nerd" he traveled the country visiting as many breweries and meaderies as possible while selling specialty chemicals in the Paint and Ink Market Segments.  From homebrew to commercial maker, Matt has always focused on pushing the boundaries in the making of both Beer and Mead.

Following the Pandemic, Matt and his wife decided to open Funktastic Meads And Beer (Matt leaving Corporate America behind).

In 2019,  Matt entered the Virginia Dominion Cup brewing competition and placed silver in two mead categories and gold in two mead categories, also taking Best in Show (Caught in the Rain) for the Mead/Cider category!  As he continued to make mead through 2019 and early 2020, he began to realize that this was becoming more than just a hobby, but a daily passion. The thought was, can they make the product commercially if they could find an interested partner?  So, after a few meetings with Hahn Fitzhugh and Welsey Fitzhugh Holthausen of Lazy Days Winery, they were set to offer Funktastic Meads commercially in collaboration with Lazy Days.  The Fitzhugh’s were great partners and allowed them the opportunity to promote their product in the semi-local market and it was well-received. In April 2021, Matt and his wife Heather made the decision to open their own tasting room and production facility right in Midlothian, Virginia.  They feel that Midlothian is an exciting suburb of Richmond and truly look forward to being the first winery in Midlothian.

Funktastic is a Nano-Meadery and Brewery located in the heart of Midlothian, VA just south of Richmond, VA.  Funktastic focuses on creating Meads with nostalgic and unique flavors in mind.  We offer both still and carbonated meads including flavors like F&M Root Beer and Sweetish Fish and many more.  We pride ourselves on providing a special experience whether at a market, festival or in our taproom.

Join us to listen to Matt tonight!

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