Don Cazentre | dcazentre@nyup.com

By Don Cazentre | NYup.com

You've probably heard by now that the craft beverage industry -- the business of making alcoholic beverages -- is booming across New York state. It seems every day or so brings news of a new brewery, winery, distillery or even hard cider maker.

In 2011, there were a little more than 300 makers of wine, beer, distilled spirits and hard cider operating in New York. As of this fall (September 2017), there are more than 300 breweries alone. Wineries top 400. Even distilleries stand at about 100.

The total number of the state's craft beverage makers -- or at least the number of licenses issued in New York -- is about to hit 1,000, according to stats kept by the New York State Liquor Authority.

The numbers have been rising for some time, but took a sharp upward turn around 2011 and 2012, when the state began loosening some of the Prohibition-era rules on alcohol production and sales. Notably, over the years, the state has expanded the notion of "farm licenses" to all sectors of the beverage market.

That idea began with wineries back in 1976, when the farm wine license created the surge from 19 wineries in the whole state to more than 400 today. The law allowed smaller wineries to sell their products directly to consumers, right in their tasting rooms.

The farm license was expanded to distilleries in 2005, then versions were extended to breweries and cideries in the past five years. Farm beverage makers of all kinds -- those who pledge to use an increasing percentage of New York ingredients -- have various incentives, including the ability to sell their products and other New York farm beverages by the glass in their tasting rooms. They can also add branch locations.

This all coincided with a growing and intense interest in "buying local" in the food and beverage marketplace.

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Don Cazentre | dcazentre@nyup.com

Below are nine charts and graphics (maps) that illustrate the rise and the spread of the craft beverage industry in New York. They were created for the State Liquor Authority by Jade Kraszewski, the agency's public information specialist.

Note: The statistics are valid through August 2017 (and they're have been new openings since then). Also, note that some businesses have more than one license, so that could inflate a few of the the numbers. (A brewery could have both a farm license and a micro license, for example).

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Growth by type of craft beverage

This graphic demonstrates the rapid expansion of craft beverage makers in New York from the first quarter of 2011 to August 2017. The total number has more than doubled.

To read the chart: The top line -- over the lightest blue shade -- shows the total number of craft beverage producers growing from just over 300 to almost 1,000. The next four lines (going down) show wineries, then breweries, distilleries and cider makers.

The most rapid growth has been in craft breweries.

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Brewery growth (by type of brewery)

This chart shows the explosive growth in craft breweries (all but a few of the largest in the state) since 2011. Farm breweries, those that pledge to use New York ingredients, provided the biggest change, increasing from 0 in 2011 to 168 by August 2017.

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Craft manufacturers by region

This chart measures the total number of craft beverage makers by different regions of the state, with a comparison from 2012 to 2017.

Notable is the Finger Lakes, once known primarily as a major wine region.It is now also home to many breweries, distilleries and cider makers.

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Most popular craft manufacturer type by county

This map shows which type of craft beverage manufacturer -- winery, brewery, distillery etc. -- is most common in each of New York's 62 counties. (There are some ties).

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Most manufacturers (all) by county

This map marks the state's 62 counties by the total number of craft beverage of manufacturers that it's home to. Suffolk County is eastern Long Island is the leader, but Seneca County in the Finger Lakes and Ulster County in the Catskills are right behind.In August 2017, there seemed to be just two counties -- Allegheny and Hamilton -- with no producers.

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Most wineries by county

Where are wineries most common? No surprise: Three counties in the Finger Lakes have more than 20 each, and so do Suffolk County on Long Island and Ulster County, bordering the Hudson River.

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Most breweries by county

The counties with the highest number of craft breweries are on opposite ends of the state: Both Erie County, home to Buffalo, and Suffolk County, on Long Island, have more than 20 each. Also strong are Monroe (home to Rochester) and its neighbor, Ontario County, plus Onondaga County (Syracuse) and two counties in the Hudson Valley, Ulster and Dutchess.

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Most distilleries by county

Unlike wineries, which often sit on vineyards, and breweries, distilleries don't need a lot of space. That explains why Kings County (Brooklyn) has one of the highest concentrations of distilleries in the state. Also tops for distilling are Erie, Monroe, Ulster and Suffolk counties.

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Most hard cider makers by county

Hard cider makers are fewer in number in New York than other craft alcohol makers, and are tied in many cases to the state's apple growing regions. Ulster County in the Catskills/Hudson Valley area leads the way, as do neighboring Hudson Valley counties Dutchess and Columbia.

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More on Upstate New York's craft beer, wine and spirits

Could Empire Rye become New York state's 'signature' distilled spirit?

Upstate NY college opens brewery offering 4-year beer degree

Three Finger Lakes wines make Wine Enthusiast's 'top buys' for 2017

Read more about Upstate New York's wine, beer and spirits -- and the bars that serve them -- at nyup.com/drinks.