Why can I get cider by glass at some New York breweries and not others? Why can I get beer at some New York cideries and not others?

New York microbrewers are not permitted to serve hard cider by the glass unless they additionally have an on premises retail license for a tavern or restaurant. New York farm breweries, however, are permitted to serve New York labelled hard ciders by the glass without any additional licenses or permits.

New York cideries can only serve cider they manufacture and New York labelled ciders by the glass for on premise consumption. New York farm cideries can serve beer, wine or spirits with an additional on premise retail license.

The laws concerning alcoholic beverages are complex. Contact the Authority Call Center if you have questions.

About Tracy Jong

Tracy Jong has been an attorney for more than 20 years,      representing restaurants, bars, and craft beverage manufacturers in a wide array of legal matters. She is also a licensed intellectual property and patent attorney.

Her book Everything You Need To Know About Obtaining and Maintaining a New York Retail Liquor License: The Definitive Guide to Navigating the State Liquor Authority will be available next month on Amazon.com as a softcover and Kindle e-book.

Her legal column is available in The Equipped Brewer, a monthly publication giving business advice, trends, and vendor reviews to help craft breweries, cideries, distilleries and wineries build brands and succeed financially.

She also maintains a website and blog with practical information on legal and business issues affecting the industry. Follow her, sign up for her free firm app or monthly newsletter.