New York State is now accepting licenses to operate farm meaderies throughout the state, reports Albany Business Review. The new craft beverage manufacturing license is similar to those available for farm wineries, breweries, cideries, and distilleries.
The legislation signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in December allows meaderies to apply for licenses to manufacture and sell mead made with all New York state honey. Farm meaderies can hold tastings at manufacturing facilities and can sell their products by the glass or bottle from those facilities or tasting rooms, and can also sell any other wine, beer, cider, or spirits produced by a New York state farm manufacturer. The craft beverage license also allows farm meaderies to self-distribute their products, instead of working through an existing wholesaler. The annual cost for the farm meadery license is $75.
A new mead producer's license was also created, and does not require the product to have honey sourced exclusively in New York. Under that license, mead producers don't get the same benefits of farm meaderies, but can still host tastings of mead produced with 100 percent New York ingredients. The annual cost of the mead producer license is $125.
New York's licenses follow on the state's push toward craft beverages. Since the passing of Gov. Cuomo's 2012 farm brewery law, 232 new farm breweries have opened across the state, and since the 2014 farm cidery law, 42 cideries have opened, according to the report. Full Story
Related: NY Distillery Under Scrutiny from City Agencies; Maryland Looks to Put its Rye Back on the Map.
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