Number of NY Craft Beverage Manufacturers Continues to Grow

From Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office:

The number of craft beverage manufacturers holding a farm-based license has grown by over 150 percent since the first Beer, Wine, Spirits and Cider Summit in 2012, said Gov. Andrew Cuomo. 

Immediately following the Summit, Cuomo implemented important legislative and regulatory reforms to promote the state's craft beverage businesses. Since then, 433 new farm-based craft beverage licenses have been issued.

 

"New York's craft beverage industry is booming, and by cutting red tape to industry development, we have seen significant growth in the number of manufacturers supporting our local farms and spurring job creation across the Empire State," Cuomo said.

"Home to more farm-breweries, wineries, distilleries and cideries than ever before, I encourage visitors and craft beverage enthusiasts to enjoy some of the best products around, right here in New York," he said.

Since the Governor's first Summit in 2012, the Empire State has experienced a surge in craft manufacturing with the vast majority of that growth coming from farm-based producers. 

Of the 523 craft beverage manufacturing licenses added since the first Summit in 2012, 433 are farm-based manufacturers that use New York grown agricultural ingredients in their production, accounting for over 80 percent of all new craft beverage manufacturers.

A list of all farm wineries, distilleries, cideries and breweries, by region and city is available at this link -- https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/ListofFarmManufacturers_2_28_2018.pdf  

The total number of all farm-based manufacturers by region:

Capital Region	72
Central New York	57
Finger Lakes	149
Long Island	100
Mid-Hudson Valley	106
Mohawk Valley	34
New York City	35
North Country	42
Southern Tier	72
Western New York	48

Major legislation helping to spur New York's farm-based craft industry includes Cuomo's Farm Brewery Law that went into effect on Jan. 1, 2013, followed by the implementation of the new Farm Cidery Law, effective Jan. 15, 2014. 

These laws mirrored the 1976 Farm Winery Act that lead to a tremendous growth of wineries and grape production in New York state. 

The governor also overhauled the state's Alcoholic Beverage Control laws to give more privileges to manufacturers that use ingredients grown in New York, including hosting tastings, operating gift shops selling any farm-produced wine, beer, cider and spirits by the bottle and by the glass from their tastings rooms. 

Farm manufacturers may also open branch stores, with 127 farm producers operating no-fee offsite tasting rooms across the state. 

 

As a result of these reforms, more manufacturers are choosing farm-based manufacturing licenses and in each craft beverage category, there are more farm-based licenses than any other type. New York is now home to 348 farm wineries, 202 farm breweries, 123 farm distilleries and 42 farm cideries. 

 

In addition, 80 farm wineries, 29 farm breweries, 12 farm distilleries and 6 farm cideries have opened branch stores due to legislation allowing farm breweries, cideries and distilleries to open branch stores. 

The growth in the number of farm-based licenses has led to an increased demand for locally sourced agricultural products in New York and a synergy between the craft beverage, tourism and agriculture sectors.

 

Winners Announced for First Ever State Fair Craft Beer Competition

Brooklyn's Threes Brewing Co. earned top honors at the first-ever New York State Craft Beer Competition, winning the Governor's Excelsior Cup. 

Threes Brewing's Pilsner "Vliet" earned gold in the Light Lager category and moved on to win Best in Show. Nineteen beers from breweries across the state earned gold medals. 

Sponsored by the New York State Brewers Association, the official New York State Fair competition featured nearly 40 judges sampling a total of 707 entries in the largest professionally judged craft beer competition held in New York State.   


The New York State Craft Beer Competition was open to any craft brewer located in New York state. Entries were submitted from 143 New York breweries, accounting for nearly half of all licensed breweries in the State.   

Gold, silver, and bronze medal winners were awarded in each of the 20 categories, which include major styles of beer, such as IPAs and Lagers, as well as niche or emerging styles, such as sour beers or fruit and spice beers. Gold medal winners by category are:  

• Light Lager: Threes Brewing Co.'s "Vliet" - Brooklyn
• Wheat Beer: Brewery Ommegang's "Witte" - Cooperstown
• Fruit and Spice Beer: The Peekskill Brewery's "Pinky Up" - Peekskill
• Belgian Farmhouse: Threes Brewing Co.'s "Wandering Bine" - Brooklyn
• Amber and Dark Lagers: Naked Dove Brewing Co.'s "Naked Dove Exposinator Doppelbock" - Canandaigua
• Amber/Red Ale: Seneca Street Brew Pub's "Irish Red Ale" - Manlius 
• Pale Ale: War Horse Brewing Co.'s "Lieutenant Dan IPA" - Geneva 
• American IPA: Good Nature Brewing Co.'s "Blight Buster" - Hamilton
• American IPA Variations: Prison City Brewing's "4 Piece" - Auburn
• American Double IPA: Big Slide Brewery & Public House's "Giant IPA" - Lake Placid
• Porter, Stout and Brown Ale: Stumblin' Monkey Brewing's "Oatmeal Stout" - Victor
• Imperial Stout and Porter: Spider Bite Beer Co.'s "Boris the Spider" - Holbrook 
• Belgian Other: Thin Man's "Hyperballad" - Buffalo
• Strong Ale: Heartland Brewery's "Old Red Nose Special Edition 14" - New York City
• Wild and Sour Ale: Mill House Brewing Co.'s "Citra Bridges"- Poughkeepsie - and Rushing Duck Brewing's "Zingerbier Berliner Weisse" - Chester - tied in this category
• Barrel Aged Sour: Brooklyn Brewery's "Kiwi's Playhouse" - Brooklyn
• Barrel Aged (Non-Sour): Three Heads Brewing's "Baltic Porter Aged in Iron Smoke Whiskey Barrels" - Rochester
• Experimental: Prison City Brewing's "Wham Whams" - Auburn
• New York State Beer: Saint James Brewery's "Saint James Brewery Pomme- Apple Ale" - Holbrook

Schumer Seeks New Insurance Option for Malt Barley Producers in NY

From U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer:
 

Schumer during a visit to the 1886 Malt House in Volney

Craft breweries and distilleries are booming this summer, pouring local products onto shelves, increasing tourism and infusing new jobs across Upstate New York.
 
Because of this U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer said last week that it’s imperative that the federal government provides even more support to Upstate New York’s craft beer industry to help new and existing establishments grow.
 
Specifically, Schumer is urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to begin the process of giving New York the Malting Barley Endorsement (M.B.E.), a special federal insurance option, available to only a select group of states that grow malt barley.
 
Malt barley needs very specific conditions to grow and is susceptible to severe weather and disease, making the M.B.E. insurance option an essential ingredient to further nurturing the growth of this new industry. 

Schumer said this will become more important over the next decade, when New York state will require farm craft brewers and distillers to source 90 percent of their ingredients from local farms and malt houses, and the supply of malt barley will need to increase to meet this demand.
 
Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., both fought earlier this year to get 44 New York state counties included in the malt barley crop insurance program.

Last year, Schumer successfully pushed the USDA to bring malt barley insurance to four New York counties but argued that with crop insurance now secured, it is time for the USDA to grant Malt Barley endorsement.
 
“With summer now in full swing, many in Upstate New York and beyond are reaching for ‘Made in New York Craft Beers.’ These beers and spirits represent a new and flourishing industry for New York state, and Upstate New York is increasingly becoming the Napa Valley of craft brewing,” Schumer said. 
 
“Not only do distilleries and breweries throughout Upstate New York pour local products and jobs into our economy, they also open new tourism opportunities, which is why it is important we continue to support this industry and provide them with all of the available tools needed to succeed now and in the future. New York is on the cusp of a craft brewing renaissance which not only benefits our growers, but all those who call New York State home,” said Schumer.
 
“That’s why I am calling on the feds to endorse this enhanced insurance protection for malt barley. These breweries are a reflection of New York’s entrepreneurial spirit and must be properly supported by growers who can supply them with the locally sourced resources they need,” he said.
 
Alongside water, yeast and hops, barley is one of the major components of beer, and of many spirits produced by distilleries. Malt consists of barley that is germinated and then dried under highly controlled conditions. These conditions help to release the enzymes needed to convert the barley starches into sugars.
 
These sugars are then fed to yeast through the process of fermentation, which ultimately creates the final product -- alcohol. Schumer explained many New York farmers are beginning to grow this barley, which ends up being used to make beer and spirits. 

Malt houses, like the 1886 Malt House at the ethanol plant in Volney, take the barley seed grains and put them through the process of malting; this is so the barley seeds can begin to germinate and thus convert the starches into sugars. This malt barley is then given to brewers and distillers, who have the yeast and fermentation conditions needed to make beer and spirits.
 
Schumer said malt barley carries greater risks for loss and lower yields than barley grown for livestock feed, because in order to be viable for malting, the grain must meet rigorous quality standards. Many growers, who are covered by malt barley crop insurance, may run into obstacles collecting payments in certain situations. 
 
Especially, in New York state, which can endure both heavy rains and long dry spells, entire crops may be deemed unusable if malt barley becomes too moist and prematurely germinates in the field, or conversely dries out and is unable to germinate during the malting process. Due to the high risks for growers throughout 

New York state, Schumer said it is critical to allow growers to have the choice of obtaining all available federal crop insurance options as soon as possible.
 
New York state has 213 craft breweries:
** In the Capital Region there are 29 craft breweries
** In Central New York there are 27 craft breweries
** In Rochester – Finger Lakes region there are 42 craft breweries
** In Western New York there are 24 craft breweries
** In the Southern Tier there are 32 craft breweries
** In the Hudson Valley region there are 36 craft breweries
** In the North Country there are 23 craft breweries
 
Previously, the lack of crop insurance hindered the rapid expansion of the craft brewing industry and therefore halted job creation in Upstate New York as well. 

Finalists Named in Craft Beer Challenge

From Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office:

UPDATE: There was a tie in the competition held May 17. The two winners are Brewery Ommegang and Roscoe NY Beer.

 
The five finalists in the Taste NY Inaugural Craft Beer Challenge have been named. 

The finalists are invited to attend the final blind tasting event in New York City May 17, which will be hosted and judged by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and a panel of expert judges.

The five final breweries that received the most votes, in alphabetical order, are:

• Brewery Ommegang—Cooperstown, Otsego County
• Genesee Brewing Company—Rochester
• Prison City Pub and Brewery—Auburn, Cayuga County
• The Roscoe NY Beer Co.—Roscoe, Sullivan County
• Southern Tier Brewing Company—Lakewood, Chautauqua County

The Taste NY Inaugural Craft Beer Challenge was launched May 2 and invited New Yorkers to vote for their favorite New York craft brewery in celebration of the diversity, range and quality of New York’s craft beer industry. 

More than 170 breweries signed up to participate, and more than 42,000 votes were cast online.

Craft Beer Trail Bill Passes State Senate

From State Sen. Patty Ritchie's office:

A bill that would help support local businesses and farmers by creating a “craft beer trail” has passed the New York state Senate. 

New York state-grown hops

Similar to the way in which wine trails have been established throughout the state, the bill sponsored y Sen. Patty Ritchie, R-Oswegatchie, (S.1914) would create a unique tourist destination — known as the “North Country Craft Beer Trail” — by linking craft breweries in Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties.

“More and more frequently, people are looking to eat—and drink—locally made products,” said Ritchie, who serves as chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

“By creating the North Country Craft Beer Trail, and potentially establishing other Craft Beer Trails throughout the state in the future, we can support local businesses, create jobs and boost the bottom lines of our hardworking farmers.”

In recent years, New York’s craft beer sector has grown dramatically, with the number of breweries growing from 95 in 2012 to 320 in 2016. In addition, New York state is fourth in the country when it comes to craft beer production and the industry has a total economic impact of $4 billion. 

This legislation is the latest effort by Ritchie to highlight locally produced goods. Last week, the Senate passed two measures supported by Ritchie that will help expand markets for New York’s hard working farmers, which will provide the opportunity to easily enjoy fresh, locally grown products across the state.

The measure was sent to the Assembly, where it is sponsored by Assembly Agriculture Committee Chair Assemblyman Bill Magee.