Celebrating the Spirit of Coney Island: A Tribute to Coney Island Brewing

I'm still in shock that New York lost one of my all-time favorite taprooms.

Understatement of my life: I was gutted when I found out that Boston Beer was closing Coney Island Brewing. CIB has been a massive inspiration to me personally and to Sideshowsips, but it was also incredibly important to the CIUSA community. It was a space for performances, celebrating the weird and wonderful in us all, and experimenting with identity (and beer).

Coney Island Brewing was my primary source for interesting beers for years as I built my community. I loved their Sideshow Series and couldn't wait to see the next creative concoction they'd release. From cereal-inspired beers to cotton candy-infused Kolsch, CIB embraced carney culture as the backbone of the brand. In a way, seeing that helped me accept my own carney past. For so long I was embarrassed about where I came from and crafted a life that kept me running away from it. I felt like I was squirming in my own identity. The more time I spent at Coney Island, meeting people like me who thrived in their identities, the easier it was for me to embrace myself and let my carney side shine. This was the place I became whole.

I bonded with one of my now-best friends there. I did an (ill-fated but beautiful) engagement photo shoot there, celebrated countless weird beer releases from Cotton Candy Kolsch to Freaktoberfest, explored the insane infusion possibilities of a Randall, read strangers’ tarot cards, reconnected with sideshow alum and Professa Adam Realman (who tore and signed the deck of cards in the gallery above), and reached the top tier of the Beer Freak Club, claiming one of the last stainless steel BFC growlers.

This is such a massive loss to the community. We’ve lost a safe space for LGBTQ folks, artists, performers, musicians, and more. One of the last series the brewery produced was called The Heart of Coney Island - and that’s exactly what we’ve lost.