Hey gang, Valkor here. Coney Island is probably one of the easiest beaches/boardwalk areas I could visit. By commute, it’s a stretch of a journey, but it’s doable. And yet, I don’ visit it as often as I should, which I should because the place is awesome. I remember my first visit as a child, I was enamored by the fact that an amusement park rides could co-exist alongside a beach. Sure, for us Jerseyans there’s Wildwood and Asbury Park. But I didn’t visit those areas until a few years later. Regardless, Coney Island has a lot going for it such as the famous Cyclone roller coaster, Nathan’s Famous Hotdogs and so much more you can see as you take a slow stroll down its boardwalk. Recently, my buddy JayDub tweeted me these two interesting flavors of beers, which led up to a meeting being scheduled that took place of all places, at Coney Island. And since it’s been ages that I’ve been to the area, I wasn’t about ready to pass up the opportunity. So, after a bit of a drive and a quick stop at the Wahlburgers spot for a bite to eat, we sauntered on over to the Coney Island Brewing Co, where we not only were given the opportunity to try out the two flavors Jay showed me but a couple of others that made for one unforgettable experience.
Before we dive in, let’s learn more about the Coney Island Brewing Co, with some detail taken from their website.
Take the ride and visit the Coney Island Brewery, located on Surf Avenue in the heart of Coney Island. Stop by for a pint, a flight, merch or a couple growlers to-go, and be sure to catch one of our free tours. With 8 house-brewed beers on tap that rotate regularly, there’s always something new to try. Depending on the season, you might catch some of our limited release, specialty styles, like SuperFreak, our Kettle Corn Cream Ale and Cotton Candy Kölsch on tap and in small-batch cans. Check out the list to the right of the page for our current tap list.
When we arrived at the brewery, I thought the setting was mad cozy with both indoor and outdoor seating; on a good day, I can see myself hanging outside, sipping some of their specialties while taking in all of the sights. But if the weather isn’t too nice, there’s also indoor seating as well. It’s a bit smallish on the inside, but the place is about to get an expansion. With that in mind, I'm looking forward to my next visit, just to see what it all looks like when completed. And after you’ve sipped a beer or three, there’s also a fun little tour, giving you a bit of the company's history as well as a behind-the-scenes of how some of their beers are made.
And speaking of which, if you’re looking for a true craft beer experience, then you don't need to look any further than what the Coney Island Brewing Co has to offer. It's literally what brought me there in the first place. The company produces “cereal beer”, which is a combination I thought I’d never see or taste. Then again, I’ve enjoyed the likes of a chocolate/peanut butter beer, so this shouldn’t be far too off. Coney Island Brewing Co has produced two for the month of October – Blooberry Boo-Liner (based on Booberry cereal) and Count Flockula (Count Chocula cereal). Along with the two cereal beers, there was also two that were pumpkin based – Freaktoberfest and Super Freak. For this piece, we’re going to settle in with just these four. And I want to give a shoutout to CIB for hooking us up with a flight and a full pour of these limited favorites.
Blooberry Boo-Liner – from a person who enjoys a sweet beer, the Boo-Liner is right up my alley. It’s the right mix of sweet and sour, it's very crisp and you can clearly taste the blueberry and marshmallow that went into the mix. Whenever I try a beer that I assume would be sweet, it never really turns out to be that way. But the Boo-Liner is the kind of sweet you can taste, yet it’s not abundantly sweet. This one is a definite favorite!
Freaktoberfest – my 2nd favorite amongst the four would be the Freaktoberfest; it's sweet yet not too sweet, beautiful color and a very crisp taste, where you can tell exactly what went into it. If fall had a flavor, Freaktoberfest is what it would taste like. Also, this needs to hang around for November because it would pair nicely with a Thanksgiving dinner. Or something to have afterward.
Super Freak – Super Freak is essentially Freaktoberfest with a kick! It has a darker color and a bolder taste as more flavors were added into the mix. However, I’d still prefer Freaktoberfest overall, as you can make out more of the flavors. Plus it tastes better overall. I'm not putting Super Freak down. But it might just be too “super freaky” for me.
Count Flockula – Because Boo-Liner brought its flavor game to the table, I had high hopes for Count Flockula; I expected to get hit with a massive amount of creamy, chocolatey goodness. But it didn’t turn out that way. It’s nice, but it had me running back for a full pour of the Boo-Liner with the quickness.
If you happen to be in the neighborhood, either visiting or if you live in the city, and looking for a unique drinking experience, then you’d be doing yourself a favor by heading down to the Coney Island Brewing Company. I know I’ll be back to try that kettle corn ale if and when it makes its way back on tap. It sounds so crazy! And yet... I needs to try it! Finally, if you’d like to know more about the company and what it has in store for the future, then simply click that logo on the right! And stay tuned to the pages of TOV where we'll have this and more in the coming months ahead.
