Sampling suds at Coney Island Brewery

Coney Island is a vital part of what makes me me. As a young’un, my mother would trek my cousins and I down to the seaside amusement area to ride the Cyclone, pump dollars into arcade machines, and stuff our faces with cotton candy. In my adolescent years, my moms and I moved to Coney, Surf Ave to be exact, in an attempt to upgrade our living situation with more space for less money. I spent a good part of my teens and twenties living the project life, enjoying the highs and the lows that Coney Island living brought. Throughout it all, I continually desired for Coney to return to its early 20th century glory. That may never happen, but Coney is on a solid upward trajectory. And a big part of that resurgence is Coney Island Brewery.

Located at  1904 Surf Ave at the foot of MCU Park and just a short stroll from the Stillwell Ave subway station, Coney Island Brewery has served up sudsy delights in its current location since 2014. It’s a physically small brewery, but growing. In fact, Coney Island Brewery is expanding into the retail space once housed by its former neighbor, Peggy O’Neil’s.

Still, don’t let Coney Island Brewey’s current size fool you into thinking it’s a small time outfit; if you’ve been to a supermarket or craft beer-friendly bar like Barcade, you’ve probably seen Coney Island Brewery’s drinks available for purchase. The company’s able to maintain its output my whipping up creative flavors in its Brooklyn headquarters and then sending its recipes to production facilities in the tri-state area. Naturally, Coney Island Brewery is there every step of the way to ensure that the outsourced beers keep up the company’s standard of excellence. And what excellent beers they are.

Recently, my friend Terry Lewis (Executive Editor, The Other View) and I visited Coney Island Brewery after learning about its Count Flocula and Boo-Liner beers, brews that are based on popular breakfast cereals. Yes, breakfast cereals.

“With the cereal beers, my inspiration came from having brunch with my wife when we first moved to the city,” said Matthew McCall, brewmaster, Coney Island Brewery. “As a beer lover it frustrated me to not have a beer option to go with my French toast.” 

I seriously could not argue that.

Upon arriving, Terry and I were given a complimentary flights featuring those two beers, as well as Freaktoberfest and Super Freak pumpkin ales. Allow me to break ’em down in order of my preference.

Freaktoberfest

This was, without a doubt, my favorite of the bunch. It’s nicely spiced, with pumpkin and coffee flavors working in union to create an extremely tasty adult beverage. In fact, when one of the kindly pourers asked if I wanted a pint, Freaktoberfest was a no-brainer choice, despite the hearty drink list. I was not disappointed.

I must sample Freaktoberfest again to determine if it dethrones the almighty Southern Tier Imperial Pumking, my favorite pumpkin beer of all time, but it’s definitely in the ballpark. Please note that this beer is one of Coney Island Brewery’s seasonal drinks.

Blueberry Boo-Liner

Brewed with marshmallow creme and lactose, and aged on blueberry puree, Blueberry Boo-Liner proved quite the surprise. I expected a beer based on a kid’s cereal to dance between the heavenly and the atrocious, but the restraint on display won me over. I’ve never had anything like it.

Certainly Boo-Liner is sweet, but not overly so, with blueberry notes up front and a subtle cream flavor holding down the rear. It’s a limited release, so grab some while you can. I highly recommend it.

Super Freak

If you want a proper buzz with a flavorful liquid treat, the 9.1-percent Super Freak will do you good. There are many flavors popping off here, including coffee, citrus, and pumpkin. Super Freak is inspired by the aforementioned Freaktoberfest. And, like its cousin, Super Freak is a seasonal joint.

In fact, Super Freak resembles a more complex version of Freaktoberfest. Of the two, I prefer Freaktoberfest, as it has a more straightforward pumpkin taste. Still, I want to revisit Super Freak, as it’s a very solid pumpkin-flavored beer that delivers big flavors. This could be the beer I want in hand as I down Thanksgiving dinner.

Count Flocula

A kölsch ale brewed with marshmallow creme and lactose, and aged on cocoa nibs, Count Flocula was my least favorite of the beers I sampled. That’s not to say that Count Flocula’s bad; it was more of a disappointment. Unlike Blueberry Boo-Liner, Count Flocula’s restraint was a detriment.

I expected something more beer-meets-chocolate milk, but instead got something that tasted more like a slightly creamy coffee-flavored beer. That said, now that my expectations are properly set, I’d like to give the Count another go. It, too, is only available for limited time.

If you want to sample these beers for yourself, check the brewery’s schedule and make your way down to Coney Island. And participate in the brewery tour, too. It’s incredibly educational and the hosts are delightful.