Brew In Livingston

Our office first announced the Brew in Livingston initiative in June 2016. As the competition began, the playing field narrowed from 75 interested parties to 35 semifinalists to just 15 finalists. At the same time, New York State Governor Cuomo announced the regional economic development awards for round six of the Consolidated Funding Application process. Among those awards was $185,000 for Livingston County’s Brew in Livingston initiative.

With this funding in place, finalists received technical assistance through the Brew IN Livingston “business boot camp” designed to assist with building and refining a business plan. Throughout the five-week course, contestants heard from professional service providers on licensing, trademark, business finance, taxes, branding, and marketing. Owners from breweries including Three Heads Brewing in Rochester and Big Ditch Brewing Company in Buffalo spoke to finalists about their experience starting and running a brewery.

Our office was proud to announce the seven winners of the competition as Amber Lantern Brewing Company, Horns and Halos Craft Brewing, Dublin Corners Farm Brewery, Battle Street Brewery, Mortalis Brewing Company, Original Stump Blowers Ciderworks, and Quiet Storm Brewing Company. From that competition, five winners have already set up shop in our county including a recently opened second location for Dublin Corners. So now in addition to the great hiking and spectacular waterfalls of our county, visitors can enjoy the tasty craft beverages of the region. These establishments join our already well-established award-winning Finger Lakes wineries, Deer Run Winery, and O-Neh-Da Vineyards.

These six microbreweries and one cidery make small-batch, craft beverages from local hops, regional grape varieties, and second-to-none New York state apples. It is the local soils, water, and weather that give beverages made here a distinctive taste that can be duplicated nowhere else. The very nature of being a craft brewer, vintner, or cider master allows these crafts to be practiced at its most pure state with hands-on care. Each small batch is tested and tasted until they reflect exactly what these regional food entrepreneurs had in mind when opening their boutique businesses.