NY Beverage Trails Are a Smashing Success: How to Explore

New York is a big player when it comes to beverage production. In 62 counties in New York, there are more than 1,000 craft beverage manufacturers. New York is No. 1 in the country when it comes to the number of cider makers, No. 2 when it comes to craft distillers and breweries and No. 4 when it comes to the total number of wineries.

The Economic Impact of Beverage Production

Captain Lawrence's Beer Hall and Beer Garden

These small businesses do a lot more than just make products. Together, they employ thousands of people directly and indirectly; utilize other small businesses for ingredients, supplies and contract work; and contribute to the broader economy by attracting people to their establishments who then visit nearby boutiques, restaurants, hotels and more.

All told, the economic impact is significant: breweries contribute an estimated $5.4 billion in economic impact, wineries contribute $6.65 billion, distilleries contribute $2.7 billion and cideries contribute $1.7 billion.

NY State Grants

States approach legislation and funding for craft beverage producers differently. The most obvious way the state of NY supports the growth of these businesses is through grants: As of November 2023, about $4.8 million has been awarded to projects across the state through the Craft Beverage Micro Grant Program. New York also supports craft producers through tax incentives, operational support and trainings, and innovation development support.

A lesser-known, smaller program that is having an outsize effect on the communities in which these producers live and work is the growing Cuisine and Beverage Trail Program. There are 39 trails woven through the state, ranging considerably in size, focus and impact. I sat down with the leaders of a few to discuss their histories, impacts, and goals.

Beverage Trails

Seneca Lake Wine Trail

Founded in 1986

28 Members
Wineries
Don't miss Wagner Vineyards, a family owned and operated vine-to-winery since 1979. Wagner serves up terroir-driven reds, whites and rosés, great food and beers from their on-site craft brewery. Don’t miss the dry Riesling, with notes of lime, apple, pears, wet rocks. Ideal for pairing with spicy noodles, or with richer brunch dishes.

The Seneca Lake Wine Trail was founded in 1986 as a non-profit, membership-based association dedicated to promoting the member wineries around Seneca Lake.

“Our chief goal and mission is to market the wineries and the trail,” says Brittany Gibson, executive director of the Seneca Lake Wine Trail. “The idea was that everyone would go further if they worked together collectively. We raise money collectively and use that to promote our individual wineries, themed weekends and general opportunities at wineries during the off seasons.”

Since launching in 1986, the initially scrappy, volunteer-run Trail has evolved considerably. There are now 28 member wineries, two official employees including Gibson and an office manager, and $300,000 annual budget that covers public relations, paid digital advertising and event execution.

The vast majority of the funding for outreach comes from their themed weekends. Mark your calendars for the next two: Deck the Halls November 22-24, and December 6-8.

“People love these events, and many have been attending for years,” Gibson says. “The tickets for singles are $95 and couples are $130 and include self-guided tours of participating wineries decked out for the holiday season, with wine and food every stop, plus ornaments at every stop.”

Tickets also include a grapevine wreath, recipe book ad two wine glasses.

Members also pay $3,000 annually in dues, but Gibson says the Trail’s long-term success speaks for itself.

“The wineries really commit and buy in because they see how it changes their bottom lines,” Gibson notes.

Orange County Craft Beverage Trail

Founded in 2022

28-31 Producers
Breweries, distilleries, cideries and wineries
Don't miss Pennings Farm Cidery, produces cider from estate apples. The taproom is cozy, the outdoor space is expansive, the events imaginative (goat yoga!) Don’t miss the Bone Dry cider, their O.G. offering with light, crisp, refreshing flavors of apples, citrus and light white flowers.

The Orange County Craft Beverage Trail was launched in 2022 as a way to connect the tourists flooding into the region to explore the farm-to-bottle beverages in a way that was simple and easy to navigate.

“It’s totally voluntary to sign up, and right now, 28 of the 31 producers in the county are signed up,” explains Amanda Dana, director at Orange County Tourism & Film, and one of the guiding forces of the launch. “There are no dues, and everything we do is funded by visitors because the program gets a portion of the occupancy tax. The idea is to just spread the word and make it easier for people to know how to get from one place to the other.”

One-time visitors or locals can sign up for the passport, which is delivered directly to your device—no app download is required. The passport provides hours, address and other relevant information, and at each stop if you “check in,” the passport receives a digital stamp.

Amanda Dana, Director Orange County Tourism & Film

“We are finding that people are getting really into the check-ins because there are prizes for five and then 10 check-ins,” Dana explains, adding that funding for the prizes, which range from hats to coolers, comes from the occupancy tax. “We are getting great feedback from the participating breweries, distilleries, cideries and wineries, and visitors love having such a range of producers to visit.”

The Craft Beverage Trail also highlights one producer per month online and via social media, another popular feature for both participants and visitors, who get a ready-made cheat sheet on the producer’s history and offerings. The website also offers a rich array of other attractions, restaurants, parks and hotels—a boon for local business.

Westchester Craft Beverage Trail

Founded in 2024

15 Producers
Breweries, cideries, distilleries, and tap rooms
Don't miss Yonkers Brewing Co., where they craft brews as big-souled as the city they hail from. The waterfront taproom is cavernous, the staff is friendly, the beer is killer. Grab the Ray’s IPA, a New England hazy and juicy brew with notes of citrus, tropical and stone fruit aromas and flavors.

The newest trail on the block is the Westchester Craft Beverage Trail launched by Westchester County Tourism & Film this year with a “no app required” passport similar to Orange County’s offering. But Tourism & Film director Natasha Caputo says that collaboration and outreach with other small agricultural and tourism-facing businesses is core to the Trail’s mission.

“Westchester County, located in the lower Hudson Valley region, is long associated with farming and agriculture,” Caputo says. “We created the Trial in recognition of the region’s rich beverage scene, but really bring it to life with support from the County and hotel partners.”

The Trail connects 25 cideries, breweries and distilleries in 18 towns across Westchester, from urban locales like Yonkers to rural-chic settings like North Salem. Opting into the trail is free, and essentially provides a free boost to their visibility through the Trail’s marketing and promotion efforts. Increasingly, the Trail is focusing on highlighting ways for visitors to make craft beverages part of a larger getaway that involves the County’s many outdoors, sports, cultural and arts opportunities.

“Collaboration is the core strength of the trail,” Caputo says. “Producers share knowledge with each other, host events to highlight the entire beverage scene here and even get together to create collaborative new drinks.”

Many locations, like Soul Brewing Company and Second Mouse Cheese Shop in Pleasantville work together on food and beverage paring programs.

As craft producers struggle to find the success that seemed to come so easily a decade ago when they were fewer players in the game, it’s clear that teaming up—instead of trying to rise to the top of the game solo—is one way businesses and craft lovers can win.