State Liquor Authority Celebrates Growth of Craft Beverage Industry on 5th Anniversary of the Craft New York Act

The State Liquor Authority today announced the number of craft beverage manufacturers has grown by nearly 70 percent since the enactment of the Craft New York Act five years ago.  A direct result of the Beer, Wine, Spirits and Cider Summits, the Craft Act went into effect on December 13, 2014, continuing the state's support of the growing craft beverage industry. Since then, 467 new craft beverage manufacturers have opened their doors, bringing the statewide total to 1153.  Additionally, 97 farm producers have opened offsite branch stores, a 149% increase from 2014, with craft producers now operating in every county across the state.  

The 2014 Craft Act provided new opportunities for craft producers, including allowing manufacturers to serve by the glass at their manufacturing facilities, it cut burdensome requirements and eased restrictions regarding the marketing of craft product, it increased annual production limits while keeping licensing fees low, and it included a $2 million Craft Beverage Marketing and Promotion Grant Program and a $1 million Craft Beverage Industry Tourism Promotion Grant.

Since the Craft Act went into effect, 44 cideries, 76 wineries and farm wineries, 98 distilleries, 247 craft breweries and two farm meaderies have opened for business statewide.  Of the 467 new craft manufacturers added since 2014, 359 are farm-based producers who use New York sourced ingredients in their products.  

New York's craft manufacturing resurgence has touched all corners of the state, with every region experiencing significant gains. The growth of craft beverage businesses by region can be found here.  

Regional highlights include:

The Capital Region added 58 new craft beverage manufacturers and features the second most breweries statewide at 58. The region also added 13 new distilleries, tied with Western NY for the most new spirits producers opening their doors since 2014. The Capital Region had the first farm meadery in the state open in October.

Central New York doubled the number of its craft manufacturers from 41 in 2014 to 82 today.  Central New York now has the fourth largest number of offsite branch stores and is home to the State’s second farm meadery.  

  
The Finger Lakes boasts the highest total number of craft beverage manufacturers statewide at 208.  The region experienced significant growth in the craft brewery category, increasing by 195% and adding eight new offsite farm brewery branch stores.

Mid-Hudson added 78 new craft beverage manufacturers, growing more than 150% in the hard cider category. Branch locations in the Hudson Valley grew from just one in 2014 to fourteen today.

Long Island is home to 74 wineries, the second most in the state, it added 25 new craft breweries in the last five years, and tripled its number of craft distilleries from three to nine.  

The Mohawk Valley has more than doubled its wineries, distilleries, cideries and branch locations. The region is now home to 50 craft manufacturers, up from 21 in 2014.

New York City added seven new farm brewery branches stores, three farm distillery branches, and two farm cidery branches - increasing all branch locations by 433%. The region has added 19 new craft breweries over the last five years.

The North Country has seen over 200% growth in craft distillery locations throughout the region. The north country has gone from no farm brewery branch stores in 2014 to five in 2019.

The Southern Tier increased its craft distillers 367%, adding 11 new craft distilleries since 2014. The region has added 12 new branch stores, including six new farm winery branches.

Western New York has the second largest growth of craft breweries at 181%, with the addition of 29 new craft breweries. Western New York has also seen significant growth in the craft distillery category, increasing 325% over five years.

Additionally, to increase cross marketing and collaboration within the industry, Former Governor Cuomo signed legislation in 2016 allowing farm wineries, breweries and cideries to sell any other NYS labeled product by the glass at their manufacturing facility or branch store, with farm distilleries obtaining this privilege in 2017.  Under prior law, farm manufacturers were limited to selling only products they produced by the glass. The number of craft beverage producers has increased in every region of the state since the signing of the Craft New York Act. New York State now ranks in the top five in the U.S. for its number of craft beverage producers in every category. The state ranks first in total number of cideries, second in both total number of breweries and total number of distilleries and fourth in the country for the total number of wineries.