By Stefan Yablonski
After decades of growth, the craft beer industry nationwide is in real bad slump, according to the executive director of the New York State Brewers Association.
While it has gone flat in most places, it still bubbles with optimism in the Empire State.
“We are holding steady,” Paul Leone said. “We are one of those states where some craft breweries are closing, some are opening, some are expanding and some are right-sizing. That leaves us flat — which is not a bad thing in this environment.”
The NYSBA (www.NewYorkCraftBeer.com) is the nonprofit trade association for craft beer in New York state. It does all of the lobbying in Albany and Washington DC for craft brewers in the state.
“We are the marketing arm as well and hold five beer brewers’ festivals around the state that exclusively feature New York state craft beer,” Leone said. “In March, we also hold the largest statewide brewers’ competition in the country and have a large state brewers’ conference that brings in companies from all over the country.”
Right now there are 505 craft breweries in New York state, which makes New York the No. 2 in the country in total number of breweries, he said. California boasts the most craft breweries in the United States, with 987 breweries in 2023, followed by New York and Pennsylvania.
Those breweries bring in a $4.8 billion economic impact to New York state.
“The big reason why New York state continues to hold steady is the fact that legislatively, we have laws in place to make it easier for craft beverage producers to open and to operate,” he said. “We have great bipartisan support in Albany and Washington DC.”
The farm brewery law went into effect in 2013.
It allows farm brewers to open restaurants, conduct tastings of all farm-produced beverages and allows them to open branch stores anywhere in the state.
It also protected a tax benefit for small brewers.
On tap in Oswego County
“We are entering our fourth season,” said Rick Fernandes of Junco Brewing Co.
Fernandes renovated a Pennsylvania Dutch-style gambrel barn at 37 Cemetery Road, Oswego Town, into a brewery. He has a farm brewing license, which means its sources many of its ingredients from local suppliers.
Junco is open seasonally, typically from late April or early May through the end of October.
“I don’t know if it is the success of the breweries — I think people are starting to learn that there is more out there in beer than just the light lagers that all the big beer companies have been selling us for decades,” he said of the success of the industry statewide. “I think the drinking public has kind of changed a little bit. People are not looking just for some place to go sit down and have a beer; they are looking for other activities as well.”
“We are in retirement. We are running the business as kind of a retirement option and at some point we’ll close it down because we really want to retire.”
The brewers’ conference in Albany is held in March. That’s where they talk about the numbers — the increase and the decrease, he said.
“What we heard last year was it’s kind of down a little bit, but it is like the restaurant business. Some people are going to open up, some are going to do well and others aren’t going to — some will even close,” Fernandes added. “It’s a combination of a lot of things.
“I think there are opportunities for more breweries here in Oswego County, especially for the summer season. Things slow down for everybody when the snow starts flying. Old City Hall may do well because of their location down in the city.”
Fernandes said he exchanges ideas every once in a while with others (Van Hasslen Brewery in Liverpool for example).
“That is kind of what’s neat about the craft beer industry. Although people compete, we are all trying to help each other,” he said.
Jenna Behling started brewing as a hobby, experimenting with different varieties and using all the fruits grown on the farm.
“As that hobby grew, it then seemed like a great way to expand our already existing business, Behling Orchards,” she said.
6 Acres Farm Brewery is a New York state licensed farm brewery located in Mexico. In 2021, it won the Next Great Idea Oswego County Business Plan Competition, earning the $50,000 grand prize.
“We were established in 2019, but we’ve been home-brewing and really trying to hone in on our recipes for a few years,” she said.
They harvest and brew craft beer — “but we’re not your typical brewery,” she said. “We infuse our own fresh produce along with supporting other local farms and businesses.”
They are brewing at 330 Johnson Road Mexico as they are in the process of building a tasting room. It will be open this spring at 412 Fort Leazier Road, Mexico, she said.
They’re looking to include a small restaurant in the tasting room as well.
As a farm brewery, at least 60% of their hops and other ingredients are grown in New York, with several recipes containing close to if not fully 100%, she added.
It was “a little overwhelming” in the beginning learning the world of brewing, with many trials and errors. However, when the knowledge and experience were both gained it became easier.
“I would say that the process surrounding building and opening a taproom was a tough and long process,” she said. “There’s a lot that goes into the building process including different permits needed to be obtained, some being quicker than others.
“There are a lot of little details that people don’t tend to think of as well. I can say that it’s been a journey; but we will finally be opening the doors to the taproom later this spring! Currently we have diligently been working on our beer lineup along with our food menu. We’re beyond excited to open our doors and have people come try our brews!”
They will be open May to November, she added.
Old City Hall
Old City Hall Brewery recently re-opened in downtown Oswego under the ownership of entrepreneur Ed Alberts.
It was created “with the vision to give Oswego locals a place to connect, celebrate and unwind.” Located at 159 Water St., Oswego, it opened on St. Patrick’s Day.
According to its website, “Old City Hall Brewery celebrates top notch culinary taste by taking it back to our roots. Handcrafted ale and entrées give a nod to heirloom methods and ingredients with a modern flair.
“Using carefully crafted recipes, we blend age-old brewing traditions with innovative flavors to bring you a beer experience that honors timeless techniques and a bold taste.”
Besides handcrafted beer they offer cocktails, ciders, wines, liquors and food.
Alberts was unavailable to comment on this story.
