The New York State Craft Brewers Festival returns to Buffalo, returning after two years, celebrating the growth of the state’s brewing industry over the past decade.
The event is scheduled for September 25th in Canalside and features over 45 breweries from across the state, including 25 from western New York.
The New York State Brewers Association typically hosts several of these festivals in a given year, but this is the first since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“We’re excited to be doing this here in Western New York in such a booming craft beer scene,” said Chloe Kay, director of marketing and communications for the Brewers Association. “These festivals are so important to share and showcase all of the great beer that is produced across the state.”
Kay and other Brewers Association as well as local elected officials were at Resurgence Brewing Company on Monday to promote the festival. Chicago Street Brewery, which opened in 2019, is located on the site of the former EB Holmes Machinery Company building, which was built over a century ago. Resurgence is one of 40 breweries in western New York.
That’s exactly what state lawmakers were hoping for when they relaxed regulations and introduced tax breaks for the brewing industry in 2012, according to Senator Sean Ryan, D-Buffalo.
“A new one seems to be opening every week, every month,” he said. “Many of these breweries breathe life into historic buildings and help revitalize our neighborhoods.
“A little change in the law, a little tweak here and there, and see what we have: we have a vibrant industry,” he added. “It’s fun. It uses local products, local workers. So we’re on the right track.”
In 2012, New York State had a little less than 100 breweries. Now there are nearly 500, the second most state in the nation after California.
That growth has slowed since the pandemic began, but the Brewers Association says it still ended 2020 with net income of 26 breweries. It estimates they are a $ 5.4 billion industry responsible for 20,000 jobs.
Paul Leone, executive director of the New York State Brewers Association, said the industry’s expansion over the past decade, and its survival in the past 18 months, was possible not only because of the support from Albany but also from the people who did it Buffalo Festival will be visiting.
“The consumer has really recovered and has recovered from COVID and supported local business,” he said. “Without the consumer and without the consumer who goes out and buys local beer, many of these breweries in Buffalo and New York State would not be open today.”
The association says it will follow health guidelines for large gatherings and have sanitary wards throughout the festival. Visit thinknydrinkny.com/buffalo for more information.
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