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BREW-MASTER: Coney Island Brewery’s
head brewer, Matt McCall, says
that so many people have come to
the seaside brewery that it needs to
expand. Photo by Trey Pentecost
GROWING PINTS
Coney Island Brewery will expand in August
BY AIDAN GRAHAM
Good drinks come to those who wait!
Coney Islanders looking to stretch out
with a crafty cold one will have to wait a little
longer — the expansion of the neighborhood’s
namesake brewery has been delayed until
August.
The beer maestros at the Coney Island
Brewery had hoped to open a new taproom
next door to their current home at the base of
MCU Park in time for the summer, but buzzkilling
bureaucrats had other plans, according
to the resident brew-master.
“The city denied our plans,” said Matt Mc-
Call. “So, unfortunately the new space is not
available yet.”
When the project is fully completed in
mid-August, the expanded space will be three
times the size of its current location, according
to McCall. The extra room is needed to serve its
tasty brews to an ever-increasing crowd.
“The current space has an indoor capacity somewhere
around 45 people, and the beer garden fi ts
around 150,” he said. “The new space will have room
for 300 people outside and around 280 people inside.”
The fi nished taproom will feature two fully operational
bars, a walk-up kitchen window, and a dedicated
indoor space for bands, karaoke, and other
performances.
In the meantime, the brewers were able to cut
the ribbon on the outdoor portion of their expansion
plan, adding many new picnic tables to the sidewalk
outside the brewery, where McCall plans to host special
events throughout the summer season.
“We have that outdoor space open now,” he said.
“We’ll have live music, trivia, freak show acts, all
that kind of stuff.”
The brewery has developed a devout following
of Kings County beer afi cionados since it opened in
2015, and when the neighboring bar, Steeplechase
Beer Garden, closed shop, the brewers hopped at the
opportunity.
36 COURIER LIFE, JUNE 21-27, 2019
“There’s always pressure when you take over a
place like Steeplechase. They were really great at
playing to the local crowd. They had a lot of regulars,”
said McCall. “But, I think we bring our own
things to the party, so to speak.”
Among those things is its wide variety of creative
brews; this year, McCall will churn out almost
30 new beer recipes, served all year at the Surf Avenue
stop.
“We have 16 taps, eight inside and eight outside,”
he said. “Only two of them are doubled up, so we can
have up to 14 unique beers at a time.”
Coney Island Brewery’s master chef since 2017,
McCall is particularly proud of one of his most recent
creations.
“I’m a man who enjoys a simple, clean, lager. So
we made a beer called ‘Killer Rye Life.’ It’s an American
lager that’s really dry,” he said. “It turned out
really nice.”
Visit the Coney Island Brewery 1904 Surf Ave. at
W. 17th Street in Coney Island, (718) 996–0019, www.
coneyislandbeer.com. Open Sun-Thu; noon–10 p.m.;
Fri, Sat, noon–midnight. Free tours daily at 2, 4, and
6 p.m.
Welcome to
Coney Island!
The bright lights,
thrills, jovial screams
and beautiful Coney
Island Beach
and the landmark
Riegelmann Boardwalk
are all waiting
for visitors to make
memories that will
last a lifetime. 2019 is
set to be remarkable,
and we invite you
all to join us and celebrate
the kick-off to
summer.
Building off the
successes of the past
few years, we are celebrating
the 99th year
of Deno’s Wonder
Wheel and have two
new high thrill rides
at Luna Park which
are sure to excite visitors.
These additions
meet a new level of
excitement as you
walk down the Boardwalk
to the New York
Aquarium. Having
offi cially opened the
new Ocean Wonders
exhibit in 2018, this
is the fi rst full year
with the opportunity
to meet the sharks
and learn about New
York’s Hudson Canyon,
while also having
the option to take
a leisurely break on
the rooftop and admire
Coney Island’s
skyline. It is a truly
breathtaking addition
to the Aquarium, and
exciting and interesting
for visitors of all
ages.
Alongside the daily
fun available at our
amusement parks and
aquarium, Coney Island
offers a myriad of
unique activities and
experiences. There
are concerts all summer
long at the Ford
Amphitheater, including
Greatest Day
Ever (a two-day festival),
Boyz II Men, and
Frankie Valli. Brooklyn’s
home team, the
Brooklyn Cyclones,
have just kicked off
their 18th season
and have lots of special
nights scheduled
including Seinfeld
Night, Grateful Dead
night, Super Hero
Day, and more. Those
looking for more of an
iconic and unusual
encounter can head to
Coney Island USA and
attend a freak show,
hang out at the Freak
Bar, or head upstairs
to their museum to
learn more about Coney
Island. History
enthusiasts can also
head to Coney Island
History Project on
the weekends to learn
more about the history
of the area and
attend walking tours
that further illustrate
Coney Island’s past
and current development.
A trip to Coney is
never complete without
trying some of the
food offerings — of
course there’s the classics,
like Nathan’s Famous
hot dogs which
are a must, along with
ice cream and custard
options from Coney’s
Cones and Rita’s. If
you are looking for
a sit-down restaurant
experience, grab
a bite on the Boardwalk
at Tom’s Coney
Island, Paul’s Daughter
or Kitchen 21, a
meal on Surf Avenue
at Applebee’s Grill
+ Bar, IHOP, Pete’s
Clam Shop, Surf City,
or Grimaldi’s, or have
an authentic Italian
cuisine experience
at Gargiulo’s Restaurant.
Gargiulo’s
also runs a pizza garden
on Friday nights
where you to experience
Friday Night
Fireworks. To fi nish
off the night, grab a
beer at Coney Island
Brewery or Ruby’s,
and have a uniquely
beachy summertime
experience.
As a nonprofi t organization
focused on
continuing the revi-
THE BLUEPRINT: The Coney Island Brewery will triple in size when
construction is completed in mid-August. Coney Island Brewery
Continued on page 40
/www.coneyislandbeer.com
/www.coneyislandbeer.com
/coneyislandbeer.com