By Laurence P. Gottlieb
Over the past several years, we have seen some incredible growth in our region”™s beer, wine, spirits and hard cider industry, but this year”™s bumper crop is particularly special. The Hudson Valley ”“ while always a great location for breweries, distilleries, vineyards and apple orchards ”“ is rapidly escalating into a hub for producing high-quality beverage products, not only for consumption in New York state, but nationwide as well.
Remarkably, we only seem to be hitting the surface of what is truly possible, as evidenced by the incredible turnout for the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp. (HVEDC) Beer, Wine & Spirit Summit held at the world-famous Culinary Institute of America Oct. 31. The standing-room-only event brought together hundreds of artisans, executives and interested parties in support of expanding this business sector into a major economic engine for New York.
Just look at one subset of this thriving sector. The national Brewers Association estimates there are now more than 2,300 craft brewers in the United States, with as many as 1,500 of these breweries currently in development. This growth is attributable to a rise in popularity of these types of beers, as consumers are looking for local, quality product. This trend alone opens the door for the many regional breweries that make up the Hudson Valley Beer Trail, providing products with great taste, wider varieties and using local ingredients.
One of these breweries is Keegan Ales, based in Kingston. The company started about 10 years ago by giving away free beer out of a former brewery site, and today, it has become a true destination for both area residents and tourists. There is also the Newburgh Brewing Co., which now regularly hosts tasting events that bring in hundreds of patrons to the revitalized Newburgh waterfront.
These two craft breweries ”“ and the many more like them in the Hudson Valley ”“ are invigorating areas that have not seen much commercial growth over the past couple decades. Keegan Ales occupies a space in midtown Kingston that is attracting many more people to the neighborhood. This, in turn, provides a benefit to the other businesses in the area, creating a domino effect that ultimately results in increased economic activity.
The Hudson Valley is also home to a number of outstanding vintners and spirits makers, including Warwick Valley, Demarest Hill, Tuthilltown Spirits and Prohibition distilleries. The winemaking industry in the Hudson Valley dates back more than 300 years and some of the nation”™s oldest vineyards are located here. Many of these wineries survived prohibition in the 1920s and continue to be exceptional tourist destinations.
Complementing the efforts of these numerous beer, wine and spirits companies has been the Hudson Valley Food & Beverage Alliance, a group created by HVEDC and comprised of businesses and organizations that are both directly and indirectly tied to our region”™s food and beverage sector. Many of the businesses experiencing recent growth are members of the alliance, which allows them to connect with local resources and other businesses that help them continue to grow.
While most of this growth is due to the innovations taking place at each of these businesses, there is also a lot they can gain from working with others. I look at it as similar to the fermentation process used when brewing beer. The foundation of a good brew is rooted in the barley and hops, but adding a little accelerant to the batch helps to speed up the process. HVEDC believes connecting these companies with local growers serves as that accelerant, and the more ingredients breweries, distilleries and wineries purchase from farmers and manufacturers here in the Hudson Valley, the greater impact it has on our broader economy.
Officials at the state level have equally embraced this opportunity. The phenomenal Taste NY initiative, launched by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, seeks to highlight and increase sales for the state”™s expanding food and beverage industry, with particular emphasis on breweries, distilleries, wineries and hard cider producers. HVEDC collaborated with the Taste NY team on the October event and together we see a brighter future for the food and beverage sector, with the best yet to come. By continuing to support these businesses across the Hudson Valley, we are investing in our economic future.
To me, that”™s classic, or should I say, vintage economic development.
Laurence P. Gottlieb is president and CEO of Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp. in New Windsor. He can be reached at (845) 220-2244 or lgottlieb@hvedc.com.
