The annual Funk Parade is so close you can almost taste it—and soon enough, you might actually be able to.
Aslin Beer Company will release “Keepin’ the Funk Alive,” a Funk Parade-themed beer, on May 4. It’s a sour ale brewed with dragon fruit, passion fruit, blackberry, milk sugar, and vanilla, the company said in a release.
The beer will be released a few days before the fifth annual Funk Parade happens on May 11. The musical festival—part street fair, part parade—brings thousands of people to U Street to celebrate the spirit of D.C.’s vibrant music and arts culture.
For the first time, this year the festival is run by The MusicianShip DC, a non-profit that focuses on music education for young people. The non-profit deciding to keep the parade alive through its new leadership role, and its investment in students to grow and become the next generation of professional performers inspired the 2019 Funk Parade theme, “Keepin’ The Funk Alive,” says Funk Parade co-founder Chris Naoum. This, in turn, became the name for the sour beer as well.
While you can buy the brew in cans at Aslin’s warehouse in Herndon as early as May 4, the company is also working to have kegs of beer on tap at official Funk Parade venues, restaurants, and bars throughout U Street during the festival. “This is just another way to get local restaurants more engaged,” says Naoum. He adds that participating venues are promising to donate a portion of the beer sales to The MusicianShip.