Brewer’s Blog

NEW YORK LEGISLATION ENCOURAGES BREWERS TO INVEST IN THEIR CRAFT

November 19th, 2014 • by Brian Mahoney

On Friday, November 14, Governor Cuomo signed into law the Craft New York Act, and opened new growth opportunities for New York producers of beer, wine, spirits and cider. The Act, which becomes effective December 14, 2014, cuts restrictions on producers and establishes a $3 million marketing fund for the promotion of craft beverages and […]

PREPARING FOR A REGULATORY INSPECTION – Part 2

November 14th, 2014 • by Rick Marx and Elaine Enfonde

Following up on our last blog post PART I – “TRICK OR TREAT?” — REGULATORY INSPECTIONS, we want to highlight key points for how you can prepare for a regulatory inspection. Identify Response Person or Team: The person(s) should be familiar with response procedures and facility policies as well as the operations subject to the inspection […]

“TRICK OR TREAT?” — REGULATORY INSPECTIONS — PART 1

October 20th, 2014 • by Rick Marx and Elaine Enfonde

Did you know that EPA and OSHA inspectors are “cross-trained” to identify the other agency’s potential regulatory concerns?  This is important because a client’s facility may have an OSHA inspection and, depending on the inspector’s observations, shortly thereafter the facility may also be the recipient of an EPA inspection or vice versa. In addition, these […]

Independent Contractors – A Trap for the Unwary

October 6th, 2014 • by Joe Carello

Maybe you need a little extra help around the holidays, or maybe you want assistance from someone with a special skill or knowledge.  How you classify such workers is just as important as the work they will provide to your business, as misclassifying a worker as an independent contractor (as opposed to an employee) can have […]

Influencing the Political Process through Farm Bureau Policy Development

August 29th, 2014 • by Mark James

Several years ago, New York Farm Bureau staff began engaging hop growers and craft brewers on ways to take their respective industries to the next level. The result of these discussions was the introduction and successful passage of the Farm Brewery Act in 2012. Additional amendments were successfully added and approved this past year. The […]

Do you know insurance?

August 26th, 2014 • by Nate Zacek

If you run a business, you know that insurance is one of your top operating expenses. Some others on the list include payroll, merchandise, advertising, permits, licenses, fees, etc. For most of these items, it is easy enough to understand what you’re actually paying for. However, how do you know that your insurance is worth […]

How good is your water?

July 9th, 2014 • by John Cox

As you all are aware, beer is comprised of 90-95% water. One needs to begin with good water in order to create great beer. Do not overlook thorough and proper water pre-treatment. There are varying viewpoints on treating municipal and well water prior to the brew house. Just like there are differing approaches to brewing […]

Welcome to our new website

June 23rd, 2014 • by Paul Leone

Welcome to our new website! I apologize for the amount of time it took to launch and only have myself to blame. As I approach year one of being the first Executive Director of this great association, I find that I could use a staff of about 3 to accomplish everything that needs to get […]