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NY Sees Surge In Local Alcohol Production

New York is seeing big increases in the number of local breweries, wineries and distilleries.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office says Monday the number of alcohol producers in the state has doubled since 2011, reflecting the national trend favoring craft beverages.

The number of microbreweries has increased from 40 in 2011 to 104 this year. The state also has 57 new farm breweries and nearly 100 new farm wineries. The state now offers incentives to breweries and wineries that rely on locally produced ingredients.

Cider and locally produced spirits are also on the rise, with the number of cideries using New York fruit going from 5 in 2011 to 29 this year.

© 2014 AP

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.
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