ALBANY – Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced an agreement with legislative leaders on a bill that will continue the State’s support of the growing craft beverage industry by cutting burdensome requirements placed on producers and rolling back restrictions regarding the marketing of craft products.
This bill would provide New York manufacturers with greater opportunities to market their products, including allowing producers to serve “by the bottle” and “by the glass” as well as permitting farm distilleries to increase the retail outlets where they can sell and offer samples of their products. In addition, this bill would reduce costs for small manufacturers by permitting them to produce more of their product at lower fees.
The legislation is a result of the State’s second Wine, Beer, Spirits, and Cider Summit, held this past April. The bill would take effect thirty days after it becomes law.
Craft manufacturers have experienced unprecedented growth over the past three years. The number of microbreweries has risen from 40 in 2011 to 100 today—an increase of 150 percent.
In addition, as a result of Governor Cuomo’s 2012 Farm Brewery law, 48 new Farm Breweries have opened up across the state. The number of farm distilleries in New York State has increased 420 percent, from 10 in the first quarter of 2011 to 52 today, while the number of farm wineries has risen by nearly 50 percent, from 195 in 2011 to 289 today.
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