Please note: As of Fall 2024, Fungtn is no longer in production.
Typically, we are always excited to see a new brewery in the NA space. Even more so to see a new brewery in the NA space from England. They are, after all, the beer people. They essentially made beer, right? Who knows. Anyway, as I was strolling the local store for the latest selection, one set of cans caught my eye, and not just because they were five dollars PER CAN! It was because they were all mushroomy. At closer inspection, I saw that these were all beers from a brewery called Fungtn (pronounced ‘function’). This brewery made exclusively NA beers and made them with mushrooms. Contrary to the belief of everyone I told that to, they are not magical mushrooms, though that may have been an improvement. So, instead of reviewing each one individually, here’s my take on all three of their mushroom infused brews.
First up in Lion’s Mane IPA from Fungtn. If I were to have high hopes for any of them, it would be this one. I feel like the hoppiness of the IPA may balance out the potential earthy flavors of mushrooms. When you crack the can and pour it in the glass, the copper color is very promising, and even the scent of hops in the air made me excited. However, once the mushroom mocktail makes its way to my mouth, the excitement wanes. The beer thankfully had no remnants of mushrooms, but it also was very light in its hoppiness. In fact, it was essentially hop water. It tasted almost identical to Lagunitas Hop Water, which isn’t a bad thing, but definitely unexpected.
Next up was the Black Lager with Chaga by Fungtn. This one poured the same copper color and now I am starting to wonder if the color is just from the mushrooms. The smell is a little earthy, but the flavor is a little basic. This one screamed lager the whole way down your throat. It’s a step up from O’Douls, but there is nothing dark or black about it, and even though it says it has notes of malted chocolate, there was no chocolate tasted on our side of the table.
The final beer by Fungtn was a Citra Lager. This one poured very light and was almost lighter than champagne in color. The bubbles were in full swing and almost took away from any of the flavors you were possibly expecting when you drank it. The smell was barely present, and the flavor was a little earthy with a hint of citrus on the back end.
Overall, Untappd gives these brews by Fungtn a 3.1, 3.0, and 2.9, respectively, but I give them all a big ole nah! None of these impressed me enough to buy them again, certainly not at the price point, and for a brewery who brands themselves with mushrooms, they had no mushroom flavor, really. For me, the lack of mushroom flavor is a good thing, but it all begs the question of why even do it. An experiment gone wrong. Now magic mushroom beer? There may be a market for that, but that’s an idea for another time. Bottomline: This beer does not Fungtn well as a beer.
HAPPY EVERY HOUR: Sober Curator Justin Lamb is dedicated to tasting great (and sometimes not so great) NA beers and showcasing his amazing collection of memorabilia from the ’90s.
RECOVERY PODCASTLAND: Want more Justin in your life? We don’t blame you! Check out his podcast Friend Request Justin has in-depth interviews with people he follows on social media, as well as his own social media followers. Friend Request dives deeper than the likes and comments. With each episode, Justin tries to create a more meaningful conversation about each individual he’s connected with. Justin ties each interview together with the commonalities and struggles that are extremely relatable and fall across the entire spectrum of the human experience.
Check Out This Episode from Friend Request
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