Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski announced the passage of his brew-pub legislation by the Assembly that would expand the number of barrels that restaurant brewers may produce to sell at retail. The Assemblyman authored his bill after being approached by a local business that had expressed concern with the limit, fearing it would hinder their ability to grow their brand. Under the bill, the limit would be extended from only 250 to 2,000 barrels; making the investment in the necessary infrastructure worth the cost for small businesses.

“The only way to figure out issues and improve upon economic development is by meeting face to face with our local businesses. The current 250 barrel limit significantly hinders the ability of this particular brew-pub to expand into retail. With craft beer emerging as a growing industry in the state for a few years now, I am sure businesses in other regions have found themselves in similar situations. This measure will help local businesses justify expensive capital investments and spur economic growth in our communities.”

The burdensome 250 barrel limit leaves little wiggle room for businesses to sell their product at a retail scale. Expanding the cap creates more opportunity for product to be sold in stores and distributed to surrounding bars and restaurants in the area. Comparatively, micro-brewers are allowed to brew up to 75,000 barrels with no limit on retail sales. Local restaurants and stores should be able to sell local craft beer; the new limits will foster this local economy.

“We need to embrace reforms that benefit local businesses and incentivize economic growth. We have some talented folks in this area who are developing outstanding products that deserve to be shared. I’d like to thank the local business for their work and approaching me with this issue. This simple expansion is a win-win for New York State local businesses and consumers,” concluded Assemblyman Zebrowski.