The craft-beverage industry is an integral part of New York’s local food and drink markets. Thanks in part to the Craft New York Act of 2014 and a number of State initiatives to support such enterprises, microbreweries, wineries, distilleries and cideries are springing up across the state. In an effort to support the needs of such businesses, the Rural Law Initiative created a Continuing Legal Education (CLE) program on counseling craft-beverage businesses in New York State. We held the program in October 2017 in Oneonta, NY, and in April 2018 in Utica, NY, and covered New York State Liquor Authority laws, labeling and packaging laws, and intellectual property laws relevant to craft beverage businesses. Both programs also included a panel of craft-beverage business owners discussing the legal obstacles they faced starting and running their businesses. The video recordings of each session, and the CLE program materials, are available below.
