Coney Island Brewing

Coney Island Brewing Co. is a Brooklyn-based craft beer brand built around the identity of Coney Island, New York. The brewery began in 2007 in an unusually small setting: the Freakatorium in Coney Island USA, where it reportedly produced batches of only one gallon. This early format gave the business a highly local, novelty-oriented character and connected its beers directly with the neighborhood’s amusement, beach, boardwalk, and popular-culture associations. The brand’s original operating location was severely affected by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Its ownership and corporate structure subsequently changed when Alchemy & Science, a subsidiary of Boston Beer Company, acquired Shmaltz Brewing Company in 2013. Coney Island Brewing Co. was folded into that broader brewing organization. The affiliation gave the brand access to a larger production and distribution platform while preserving its Coney Island-facing identity. A new brewery and taproom opened in 2015 at Maimonides Park, the Brooklyn ballpark associated with the New York Mets’ minor-league affiliate. The venue provided a more substantial operating base and placed the brand within a sports, entertainment, and tourism setting. The taproom was intended to complement the packaged-beer business by offering visitors a physical destination connected to the brand’s local story. Coney Island Brewing Co. has focused on approachable beers with names and branding linked to the area’s seaside atmosphere. Its cited flagship range includes Mermaid Pilsner, Merman New York IPA, and Beach Beer. Mermaid Pilsner represents the brand’s lighter, broadly accessible lager offering; Merman is positioned as an India pale ale with a stronger craft-beer identity; and Beach Beer is associated with casual warm-weather drinking and the Coney Island shore. The line was reported as being distributed in thirteen U.S. states. The brand also experimented with flavored alcoholic beverages. In 2018, it discontinued production of hard root beer, hard ginger ale, and hard orange cream ale and chose to concentrate on craft beer. This was a portfolio decision intended to narrow the brand’s emphasis rather than an indication that the overall brand had ended. In November 2023, Coney Island Brewing Co. closed its Maimonides Park taproom. The stated reasons were the area’s seasonal business pattern and insufficient profitability. The closure reduced the brand’s direct hospitality presence, but its beers continued to be distributed. Coney Island Brewing Co. therefore remains best understood as a place-based beer brand operating within Boston Beer Company’s wider portfolio, with its strongest differentiation coming from its Brooklyn and Coney Island associations rather than from a large standalone brewery network.

Coney Island Brewing Co. was founded in 2007 in Brooklyn, New York, with an operating concept that was deliberately small and strongly tied to the Coney Island environment. Its first brewing operation was located in the Freakatorium in Coney Island USA, where production reportedly took place in one-gallon batches. Rather than beginning as a conventional large regional brewery, the business used its tiny scale and unusual setting as part of its identity. The brand’s name and early location connected it to Coney Island’s amusement, beach, boardwalk, and entertainment culture. The original site was devastated by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The storm disrupted the physical base from which the brewery had operated and became a significant turning point in the brand’s development. In 2013, Alchemy & Science, a subsidiary of Boston Beer Company, purchased Shmaltz Brewing Company. Through that transaction, Coney Island Brewing Co. was folded into a larger brewing organization. This gave the brand a corporate owner and broader production and distribution capabilities while retaining its Coney Island name and local positioning. In 2015, the company opened a new brewery and taproom at Maimonides Park in Brooklyn. The location placed the brand within a sports and entertainment venue and provided a replacement for the storm-damaged site. The taproom also served as a visitor-facing expression of the brand, allowing consumers to encounter the beers in a setting connected to the broader Coney Island experience. The brand’s principal beer portfolio included Mermaid Pilsner, Merman NY IPA, and Beach Beer. Together, these products represented a mix of accessible lager, hop-oriented craft beer, and a casual beer associated with the beach and warm-weather setting. The beers were reported as available across thirteen U.S. states, indicating that the brand operated beyond the immediate Brooklyn market even though its identity remained geographically specific. Coney Island Brewing Co. also produced hard root beer, hard ginger ale, and hard orange cream ale. In 2018, it discontinued those products and elected to focus on craft beer. The move simplified the portfolio and aligned the business more closely with its core brewery positioning. The Maimonides Park taproom ultimately closed in November 2023. The company attributed the decision to Coney Island’s seasonal business conditions and a lack of profitability. The closure ended the brand’s identified taproom presence at the ballpark but did not end the beer business: the brand’s beers continued to be distributed. Its history consequently reflects a progression from a highly localized microbrewery, through storm-related relocation and integration into Boston Beer Company’s corporate structure, to a distributed craft beer brand with a reduced physical hospitality footprint.

1. 2023Maimonides Park taproom closed

   The taproom closed in November because of Coney Island’s seasonal business pattern and insufficient profitability, while beer distribution continued.

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2. 2018Portfolio narrowed to craft beer

   Production of hard root beer, hard ginger ale, and hard orange cream ale ended as the company concentrated on craft beer.

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3. 2015New brewery and taproom opened at Maimonides Park

   The brand opened a new brewery and taproom at Maimonides Park in Brooklyn.

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4. 2013Became part of the Boston Beer Company organization

   Following Alchemy & Science’s acquisition of Shmaltz Brewing Company, Coney Island Brewing Co. was incorporated into the Boston Beer Company group.

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5. 2012Original location damaged by Hurricane Sandy

   The brewery’s original Coney Island location was devastated by Hurricane Sandy, prompting the need for a new operating site.

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6. 2007Brand founded in Coney Island

   Coney Island Brewing Co. began operations in Brooklyn at the Freakatorium in Coney Island USA, producing exceptionally small one-gallon batches.

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A place-based Brooklyn craft beer brand using Coney Island’s seaside, entertainment, and neighborhood identity to support approachable beers and seasonal drinking occasions.

• Mermaid PilsnerPilsner

  Mermaid Pilsner is one of Coney Island Brewing Co.’s cited flagship beers. It represents the brand’s lighter and more approachable lager expression, fitting the company’s seaside and warm-weather positioning. The product is part of the core range that supported distribution beyond Brooklyn.

• Merman NY IPAIndia pale ale

  Merman NY IPA is a flagship India pale ale associated with the brand’s New York identity. It provides a more pronounced craft-beer offering alongside the lighter Mermaid Pilsner and the casual Beach Beer, helping define the core beer portfolio.

• Beach BeerCraft beer

  Beach Beer is a flagship offering built around informal seaside drinking occasions. Its name and positioning reinforce Coney Island Brewing Co.’s connection with the beach, boardwalk, and seasonal tourism culture of Coney Island.

• Hard Root BeerFlavored alcoholic beverage

  Hard Root Beer was one of the flavored alcoholic beverages formerly produced by Coney Island Brewing Co. It was discontinued in 2018 when the company chose to focus its portfolio on craft beer.

• Hard Ginger AleFlavored alcoholic beverage

  Hard Ginger Ale was a former flavored alcoholic beverage in the Coney Island Brewing Co. range. Production ended in 2018 as the company narrowed its emphasis to craft beer.

• Hard Orange Cream AleFlavored alcoholic beverage

  Hard Orange Cream Ale was a former flavored alcoholic product. It was discontinued in 2018 as part of the brand’s decision to concentrate on its craft beer business.

• 2023Maimonides Park taproom closureStrategy

  The taproom operated in a highly seasonal Coney Island environment and was reported to lack sufficient profitability.

  What changed. The company closed the Maimonides Park taproom in November 2023.

  Aftermath. The physical taproom presence ended, but the brand’s beers continued to be distributed.

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• 2018Focus shifted toward craft beerStrategy

  The company maintained a portfolio that included several flavored alcoholic beverages in addition to craft beer.

  What changed. Production of hard root beer, hard ginger ale, and hard orange cream ale was discontinued.

  Aftermath. The brand concentrated on its craft beer range, including Mermaid Pilsner, Merman NY IPA, and Beach Beer.

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• 2013Integration into Boston Beer Company’s wider brewing groupM&A

  Alchemy & Science, a Boston Beer Company subsidiary, acquired Shmaltz Brewing Company, bringing Coney Island Brewing Co. into the Boston Beer Company organization.

  What changed. The brand was incorporated into the larger brewing group rather than continuing solely as an independent local brewery.

  Aftermath. The affiliation supported a subsequent brewery and taproom opening at Maimonides Park and enabled distribution of the brand’s beers across multiple U.S. states.

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• 2023Maimonides Park taproom closed

  The taproom closed in November after the company cited the seasonal nature of the Coney Island area and a lack of profitability. Beer distribution continued.

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• 2018Coney Island Brewing Co. discontinued three flavored alcoholic beverages

  The brand stopped making hard root beer, hard ginger ale, and hard orange cream ale as it concentrated its portfolio on craft beer.

  Product generation
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• 2015New Coney Island brewery and taproom opened at Maimonides Park

  The brand established a new brewery and taproom at Maimonides Park after its earlier Coney Island location had been devastated by Hurricane Sandy.

  Other
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• 2013Coney Island Brewing Co. was incorporated into the Boston Beer Company organization

  Alchemy & Science, a subsidiary of Boston Beer Company, acquired Shmaltz Brewing Company, and Coney Island Brewing Co. became part of the resulting wider brewing organization.

  M&A
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1. Coney Island Brewing Co.