New York state is now home to 400 breweries -- surpassing the previous record of 393 set in 1876.
The number of breweries has skyrocketed in New York since Gov. Andrew Cuomo hosted the state's first Wine, Beer and Spirits Summit in 2012, with 242 new breweries obtaining licenses, and beer being brewed in 57 of the state's 62 counties.
Additionally, 202 new farm brewery licenses have been issued since the governor's farm brewery law went into effect Jan. 1, 2013. That law mirrored the highly successful 1976 Farm Winery Act that lead to the tremendous growth of wineries and grape production throughout New York.
The new farm brewery license allows craft breweries that use ingredients grown in New York to conduct onsite tastings, open restaurants, engage in self-distribution and open up to five no-fee off-site branch stores anywhere in the state.
In just five years, 202 licenses have been issued.
The farm brewery law has also led to a resurgence in New York's hop and barley production.
According
to Cornell University, in response to a rising demand for locally
sourced agriculture, the acreage of hops grown in New York nearly
doubled from 2014 to 2016, while the acreage of malting barley increased
by 374 percent over the same two-year period.
New York is also now home to 13 malt houses, all of which have
opened following the demand generated by the new farm brewery license. These have also generated employment and economic development for
supporting industries, including bottling, construction, freight,
printing and advertising, as well as growing agri-tourism in the state, augmenting New York's $100 billion tourism industry.
The first commercial brewery in Colonial America opened in Manhattan in 1632 after settlers quickly realized the state's climate was ideal for growing hops and barley.
New York's ag sector expanded throughout the 18th century and received a significant boost when the Erie Canal opened in 1825, helping promote the use of locally grown ingredients in beer production.
The
first commercial brewery in Colonial America opened in Manhattan in
1632, after settlers quickly realized the state's climate was ideal for
growing hops and barley.
New York's agriculture sector expanded
throughout the 18th century and received a significant boost when the
Erie Canal opened in 1825, helping promote the use of locally grown
ingredients in beer production - a strong suit of New York's craft
beverage industry today.
Later in the 19th century the state benefited
from an influx of English, German and Irish immigrants who brought with
them brewing skills that propelled New York into a thriving beverage
boom. Between 1840 and 1900, New York grew more hops and brewed more
beer than anywhere else in the country, with the number of breweries peaking in 1876 at 393.
By
the close of the 19th century, developments in pasteurization,
refrigeration, rail transport and bottling shifted the brewing industry
from small-scale production for local consumption to an industry
dominated by enormous breweries.
By 1910, the number of brewers in the
state fell to 194, while an epidemic of downy mildew devastated the
state's hop production, followed by the Prohibition in 1920, which
finally killed off the industry. When beer production was legalized
following the 21st Amendment in 1933, only a small handful of breweries
in the state reopened.
Today,
a new generation of entrepreneurs are reviving New York's position as a
leader in craft brewing.
For a list of New York's breweries, go to https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/400_NYS_Breweries.pdf
