New York state has formed the first-ever NY
\nCraft Brewer Workgroup, which will put forth
\nrecommendations on ways to continue spurring
\nthe rapid expansion of the state’s craft beer sector.<\/p>\n
The work group, which is a direct result of the
\nsecond Wine, Beer, Spirits and Cider Summit,
\nwill consist of representatives from the craft
\nbeverage industry, higher education and research
\ninstitutions, the agricultural sector and state
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
“New York’s craft beer industry has seen tremendous
\ngrowth in the past four years – and we
\nplan to keep the momentum going,” Gov. Andrew
\nCuomo said.<\/p>\n
“By bringing together leaders from
\nindustry, academia and the public sector, we can
\nmake sure that the Empire State becomes an even
\nbetter place to brew and promote world-class
\nbeverages. That’s what I’ve charged this work
\ngroup with doing, and I am confident that they
\nwill play a large role in continuing to cultivate a
\nvibrant environment for the craft beer industry.”<\/p>\n
The group will help coordinate and improve
\ncommunication between all segments of the craft
\nbrew industry and state government. Members
\nwill also work together to identify emerging
\nneeds, including research on new varieties of hops
\nand barley, production methods and consumer
\ntrends; as well as making sure that the state
\nhas the infrastructure in place for this growing
\nindustry, said the governor.<\/p>\n
The work group will also continue where the
\nsummit left off by reviewing areas of potential
\nregulatory reform and guiding the continued
\ndevelopment of Empire State Development’s
\nOne Stop Shop, which is designed to provide New
\nYork’s beverage producers with a single point
\nof government contact for assistance regarding
\nregulations, licensing, state incentives, and any
\nother questions or issues facing the industry,
\nofficials said.<\/p>\n
Members will assist in the development and\/or
\ndirection of promotional and marketing programs
\nsuch as Taste NY, Pride of New York and Trails to
\npromote New York agriculture, while exploring
\ngrant opportunities potentially beneficial to the
\nindustry.<\/p>\n
Members of the group, which will be led by
\nthe Commissioner of the State Department of
\nAgriculture and Markets, include:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Gary C. Bergstrom, Ph.D., professor, Department
\nof Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology
\nat Cornell University<\/p>\n
\u2022 Jimmy Carbone, host, Beer Sessions Radio<\/p>\n
\u2022 Larry Fisher, president, Northeast Hop Alliance<\/p>\n
\u2022 Steve Hindy, co-founder, Brooklyn Brewery<\/p>\n
\u2022 David Katleski, founder of Empire Brewing Company and president of the NYS Brewers Association<\/p>\n
\u2022 Paul Leone, executive director, NYS Brewers
\nAssociation<\/p>\n
\u2022 Natalie Mattrazzo, co-owner, the FarmHouse
\nBrewery<\/p>\n
\u2022 Steven Miller, Cornell hop specialist<\/p>\n
\u2022 June Russell, manager of farm inspections
\nand strategic development at Greenmarket,
\nGrowNYC<\/p>\n
\u2022 Gregg Stacy, vice president, director of marketing
\nand sales at Brown’s Brewing Co.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Bill Verbeten, regional extension agronomist,
\nCornell Cooperative Extension<\/p>\n
\u2022 Justin Whipple, owner of Whipple Brothers
\nFarms<\/p>\n
Representatives from the State Liquor Authority
\nand Empire State Development will also
\nparticipate.<\/p>\n
State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A.
\nBall said, the “farm-based beverage summits
\nlaid the groundwork for unprecedented growth
\nwithin the industry, and this workgroup will take
\nthis one step further. Gov. Cuomo has brought
\ntogether some of the best and brightest minds
\nwithin the industry to examine challenges and
\ndevelop working solutions. It’s an exciting time to
\nbe part of New York agriculture and the boom in
\nthe craft brewing industry is a major reason why.”<\/p>\n
In July 2012, Cuomo signed legislation creating
\na farm brewery license to promote the use of local
\ningredients in craft beers. Since that law took
\neffect in January 2013, 48 new farm breweries
\nhave opened up across the state. Like farm wineries,
\nfarm breweries craft “New York” beer with
\nspecific levels of locally grown ingredients, gradually
\nincreasing from 20 percent to 90 percent by
\n2024. Farm breweries enjoy similar privileges to
\nfarm wineries, including the ability to operate
\nup to five off-site retail outlets, open restaurants,
\nconduct tastings and sell related products that
\nmay include souvenirs, food to complement beer
\ntastings and equipment and supplies.<\/p>\n
State officials said New York microbreweries
\ncontinue to experience unprecedented growth.
\nThe Empire State is now home to 100 microbreweries,
\na 150 percent increase from 2011.<\/p>\n
Additionally, the number of restaurant brewers
\nhas increased from 10 in 2011 to 26 today, which
\namounts to a 160 percent increase.<\/p>\n
Currently there are approximately 225 acres
\nof hops planted in New York State, of which 150
\nacres will be harvested this year–amounting to
\nover 100,000 pounds of hops.<\/p>\n
For more information about New York’s growing
\nbeer, wine, spirits and cider industries, visit
\nthe One Stop Shop and www.taste.ny.gov.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
New York state has formed the first-ever NY Craft Brewer Workgroup, which will put forth recommendations on ways to continue spurring the rapid expansion of the state’s craft beer sector. The work group, which is a direct result of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[57,102],"yoast_head":"\r\n