Craft beverages explode in the Hudson Valley
Just as foodies have become more conscious of where their food comes from, consumers have also developed an interest in their local beverage scene.
Locally, the craft brewery scene has boomed in the last half-decade, and an already successful wine industry has received a boost.
Variety, industry experts say, is one key driving the interest in locally crafted beverages.
"Every brewer has their own style," area brewmaster Brandin Stabell said.
And while the distilled spirits industry has not provided that same impact on the region yet, it accounts for more than $100 billion in economic activity across the country.
Beer
New York is home to 208 craft breweries, the fifth-most in the United States, an increase from just 75 craft breweries in 2011, according to The Brewers Association. Dutchess and Ulster counties are home to 20 of them, according to data.ny.gov.
Craft breweries are defined as small and independent, with a majority of their beverages being derived from traditional brewing ingredients. Craft brewers produce 6 million barrels of beer or less, and less than 25 percent of the craft brewery must be owned or controlled by a non-craft brewer.
New York produces the seventh-highest volume of craft beer in the nation at 1,086,718 barrels, and it's profitable with a $2.9 billion economic impact, the fourth-highest in the nation, The Brewers Association reported in 2015.
Two years since opening North River Hops and Brewing in Wappingers Falls, Stabell said the local craft beer scene still has room to expand.
Craft brewing exploded in 2012 for the Hudson Valley, branching out into two distinct styles of brewing, Stabell said.
"You had a trend of breweries like Mill House (Brewing Company) and Gilded Otter with the picturesque brewpubs, and you had breweries like Sloop (Brewing Company) that thought outside the box with their beer," Stabell said.
But despite the difference between the different local breweries, the common thread is an interest in providing different flavors in their beer. And in the Hudson Valley, the use of local flavors and ingredients had given local beer a distinct taste, Stabell said.
Moving forward, craft brewing still has the potential to expand in the area as long as there are brewers to bring something new to the table.
FIND: Local breweries, wine and beer
Wine
Dutchess County has eight wineries, while Ulster County has 23 wineries, according to the New York Wine & Grape Foundation. New York features 1,631 family vineyards and more than 400 wineries, and the state's wine industry has an economic impact of $4.8 billion in 2012, the foundation reported.
Celebrating Clinton Vineyard's 40th anniversary, owner Phyllis Feder said that local wine has gained new interest through the craft beverage movement.
Though wine in the Hudson Valley developed in the area well before craft beer and spirits, Feder said the last six years has resulted in major growth for the industry. Wineries in the Hudson Valley region have started trending toward high-end varieties.
The region's greatest strength is the variety of wines, Feder said.
"While the Finger Lakes might be known for its Riesling and white wine, the Hudson Valley has a mixture of reds and whites," Feder said. "What we offer is a nice, broad range of wine."
But more important is the perception change caused by the craft beverage movement. The audience for wines at the Clinton Corners winery has seen a shift to a younger audience.
"It's really exciting that we have a lot of young people exposing themselves to our wines," Feder said.
Spirits
The distilled spirits industry is responsible for $141 billion in economic activity in the U.S. in 2013, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. There are seven distilleries in Dutchess and Ulster counties, according to data.ny.gov.
Unlike beer and wine, craft spirits are not as developed in the Hudson Valley area, according to Lydia Higginson, CEO of Dutch's Spirits in Pine Plains. The aging process for whisky means that many distillers need a variety of products.
"We started out with our moonshine and bitters to establish ourselves before unveiling our bourbon," Higginson said.
This means that, while craft spirits have not exploded in the area like craft beer, the local spirits industry will start seeing major growth as aspiring distillers prepare to launch their initial products.
But what gives local spirits their unique flavor is the Hudson Valley's water, Higginson said.
"I believe its the water source that gives our spirits their unique flavor," Higginson said.
Geoffrey Wilson: gwilson@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4882, Twitter: Geoff_LW