Capital Region News

Number Of Farm Cider Makers Triples In 2 Years In New York

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Dave Lucas

Published October 18, 2016 at 11:59 PM EDT

The number of farm cider makers in New York state has tripled in just two years, reflecting the surge in popularity for the alcoholic beverage.

Numbers released Tuesday show the state has 24 licensed farm cideries, up from just eight in 2014.

Farm cideries are required to use apples grown within the state in a move designed to boost one of the state's leading agricultural products while responding to consumer interest in locally sourced food.

State officials released the figures on Tuesday as craft alcohol makers gathered in Albany for a summit focused on boosting tourism and locally made beer, wine, cider and spirits.

Tags

Dave Lucas

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.

See stories by Dave Lucas