When I think of summer in New York City, I inevitably dream about Coney Island. Umbrella lounge chairs dot the long stretches of sand; the smell of sizzling hot dogs wafts in the air; and high-pitched shrieks abound as people whiz by on roller coasters and other amusement park rides. But I didn’t realize until a few weeks ago that Coney Island is home to its very own brewery, named — you guessed it — Coney Island Brewery.
The brewery’s tap room may be smaller than some, but what it lacks in space, it more than makes up for with its tasty beers. Here’s why you need to take the ride down to the southern end of Brooklyn and visit Coney Island Brewery.
What’s the Deal with Coney Island Brewery?
Founded in 2007, Coney Island Brewery’s current location next to the Brooklyn Cyclones’ ballpark in Coney Island, Brooklyn, opened roughly three years ago.
While there are other breweries in New York City — and, therefore, Brooklyn, of course — Coney Island Brewery is my brewery of choice for the summer because it’s so close to the beach. There’s nothing better than sipping one a cold one and ambling over to the beach on a lazy summer day, right?
Though I advise maybe going on the amusement park rides at Luna Park before you drink your beer… jostling around in tiny seats on the Coney Island Cyclone coaster after a few pints of beer sounds like a recipe for disaster. (Sorry, I digress.)
Just imagine sipping some beer with Coney Island’s beach nearby…
Fun fact: Coney Island Brewing once held the distinction of being the smallest commercial brewery in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records. (Don’t believe me? It really was.) At the time they closed in 2012 (due to Hurricane Sandy), they were producing one gallon of beer per batch. We’re glad that more of the world gets to try their beer nowadays!
Though there isn’t an actual ride in the brewery — I say this because they use the hashtag #TakeTheRide and, of course, my mind immediately jumped to an interactive brewery ride like the one at the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam — they do offer pints, flights, merchandise, and growlers to go.
How To Get To Coney Island Brewery
The easiest way to get to Coney Island Brewery is to take the subway. I mean, theoretically, sure, you could drive… but let’s assume that you’re staying somewhere within New York City and don’t want to deal with horrendous parking.
Take the D, F, N, or Q trains to the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue stop. If you hop on one of those four trains going southbound toward Brooklyn and you forget the name of the stop, you’re in luck: it’s the last stop on the train.
Check out the interactive map below to see exactly how close the brewery is to the beach… and to Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs.
What Kind of Beer Do They Have?
Tasting flight at Coney Island Brewery
Coney Island Brewery has 8 house-brewed beers on tap that rotate on a regular basis, with creative names that reflect the spirit of Coney Island and its people. On a recent visit, we saw the following on tap:
- Mermaid Pilsner – 5.2% ABV; also their flagship beer
- Mermaid 2.0 – 6.8% ABV; this is the Mermaid Pilsner “amped up with a ton of American hops”
- Merman NY IPA – 5.8% ABV; an IPA where West Coast style meets East Coast style
- Porter Man – 7% ABV; flavors of maple syrup and chocolate
- Fangtooth DIPA – 9% ABV; very intense
- Hot Toddy – 12% ABV; really did taste like a hot toddy!
- Honey Stout – 8% ABV; flavors of caramel malt and honey
- Cinnamon Toast Kölsch – 5.1% ABV; my favorite as it tasted like drinking a boozy cereal for breakfast
Sampling craft beer at Coney Island Brewery in Brooklyn
While you can find the Mermaid Pilsner and Merman NY IPA around New York City and the surrounding area, it pays to visit so you can try beers that are only available at the tap room. For example, the Fangtooth Double IPA and Cinnamon Toast Kölsch, my two favorites, were brewery exclusives that I couldn’t have sampled elsewhere.
As a side note, Coney Island Brewery currently makes a hard root beer and a hard orange cream ale. While I didn’t try any of these, I’m curious enough to make a return trip to see what they taste like.
Coney Island Brewery Has Tours, Too!
Learn about the ingredients that go into Coney Island Brewery beers during one of their free tours!
Coney Island Brewery runs free tours of their brewery daily. Yes, you read that correctly — it costs zilch, nothing, nada to learn about the inner workings of this place. This is music to my ears, given that some other breweries in the borough (*Brooklyn Brewery, cough cough*) charge money for tours.
Tours typically run at 2:00 PM, 4:00 PM, and 6:00 PM. However, because this is a bonafide working brewery, tours may not always be performed on schedule. Put another way: staff may be running around actually brewing that delicious beer that goes into your glass, and it needs to be done sometime!
Beware that the space is pretty small, though (truly — it’s about 1500 square feet in total), so try to visit when it’s less crazy if you can. I happened to visit the tap room early on a Thursday and had a great tour by myself (shout out to Phil, who answered all of my questions), but as the summer progresses, I’m betting the tours will get more and more popular. Tours are capped at 20 participants, but you can always call ahead if you have a large group.
Take a tour of the brewery and you, too, can be “Authorized Personnel” who get to see their equipment up close.
Practical Info
Address: 1904 Surf Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11224
Phone: (718) 996-0019
Hours: Current winter hours are Thursday to Sunday, 12 PM to 8 PM. Be sure to check their website at http://coneyislandbeer.com to verify the most up-to-date information.
Essential Info:
Where should you stay in New York City? Check out all options here.
Want a guidebook for New York City? I recommend this guidebook.
Where else have I visited in New York lately? Beacon, NY and various NYC cocktail bars.
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All costs were paid for by me, and all opinions are my own. For more thirsty adventures, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest!