From being named official drinks to winning awards, Cazenovia-made beer, wine and spirits are making their mark at this year’s fair

By Jason Emerson

editor

The New York State Fair is an event where lovers of adult beverages are guaranteed to find something they want to drink, from beer to wine to hard cider to spirits. Fair attendees this year may notice something new, however  — Cazenovia area beverage producers will have their offerings seemingly everywhere.

Between Empire Brewing Company, Owera Vineyards, Life of Reilley Distilling and Wine Company and Old Home Distillers, local drink makers this year have:

✓Created the official beer of the state fair.

✓Created the official hard cider of the Empire Room.

✓Won eight medals for wine and spirits.

✓Been scheduled to give numerous tasting events and educational seminars throughout the duration of the fair.

What does this mean for the growing beverage industry in Cazenovia and throughout Madison County? It means that our entrepreneurs are doing something right, according to Scott Flaherty, executive director of Madison County Tourism.

“I’m thrilled to see that Madison County’s beverage producers have such a strong presence at the state fair,” said Scott Flaherty, executive director of Madison County Tourism. “I’m confident that this exposure will ultimately lead to more people visiting our local tasting rooms as either a day trip or as part of an extended stay. And this is good news for us because the economic impact of craft beverage enthusiasts and other ‘foodies’ is tremendous.”

Flaherty said a new report shows that visitors spent an estimated $30.4 million on food and beverages in Madison County last year, which was an increase of nearly 5 percent over 2014.

“With new producers like Foothill Hops Farms & Brewery and Madison County Distillery coming online soon, plus the expansion of Good Nature Brewing, I’m certain that this number will continue to grow,” he said.

At the 2016 state fair

This year, for the third consecutive year, Empire Brewing Company’s Showstopper Ale has been named the official beer of the state fair.

First created in 2014, Showstopper Ale is based on Empire’s award winning and best selling Skinny Atlas Light Ale recipe. It utilizes local ingredients like pure Skaneateles Lake water, malted barley and hops and Empire’s proprietary yeast to produce a light and refreshing Kolsch-style ale.

“We are honored to make the New York State Fair’s Showstopper Ale,” said Empire Brewing Company owner David Katleski. “Although it is handcrafted, it does have a light body and mild hoppiness that appeals to both craft and non-craft beer drinkers. It also pairs well with fair food delicacies like corn dogs and pizza frittes”

In addition to Showstopper Ale being available at beverage stands throughout the fair, Empire also will be featured in the Taste NY tent pouring Showstopper Ale and Slo Mo IPA from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 26.

The recent completion of Empire’s Farmstead Brewery on Rippleton Road in Cazenovia means that its beers are now Cazenovia-made. The farmstead brewery also allowed Empire for the first time to begin selling its beer in bottles and kegs, which can now be found throughout the state.

For more information, visit empirebrew.com.

Also recognized this year is Life of Reilley Distilling and Wine Company’s new Disco Lemonade, which has been named the official hard lemonade of the Empire Room and will be offered there to patrons for the entire run of the fair.

Disco Lemonade is a canned cocktail made of raspberry vodka, fresh lemonade and locally grown mint. It was officially released on July 23 at the Cazenovia Farmers Market, and has been selling so well that Life of Reilley distillery in Nelson, which also produces three different flavors of vodka, is working feverishly to keep up with demand.

“I’m absolutely thrilled and honored to be selected by Hospitality Concepts Group [that is managing the Empire Room at the state fair and is based out of Hamilton in Madison County] as the official hard lemonade,” said LOR co-owner Ben Reilley. “The fact that they thought of us in the same breath as 1911 and Saranac, who are their partners, it’s a little mindblowing, to be honest. I can only imagine how many people will see our brand, go back to their communities and ask for our product.”

In addition to being the official hard lemonade of the Empire Room, there will be Disco Lemonade tastings from 3 to 7 p.m. every day for the first 10 days of the fair on the Empire Room outside patio. People who like what they taste can go inside and purchase a can from the bar, Reilley said.

On Tuesday, Aug. 30, there will also be a Disco Lemonade Party starting at 3 p.m. at the Empire Room, with live music by The Generation Gap Band.

“I’ve never been a vendor at the fair. I’ve heard it’s a ton of fun, I know it will be a lot of work … the whole team is looking forward to it,” Reilley said.

For more information, visit lifeofreilley.net.

Also returning to the state fair this year is Cazenovia’s only winery, Owera Vineyards, which will have its wine available at the fair and which has won five medals in the 2016 commercial wine awards.

Adding to its collection of numerous wine competition medals, including seven from previous New York state fairs, this year Owera received a gold medal for its 2013 Owaghena White; silver medals for its 2013 Teddy’s Red, 2014 Janey’s Rose and 2013 Cazenovia 1793; and a bronze medal for its 2014 Betty’s White.

“Owera is very pleased to have received awards for all five wines entered in the 2016 New York State Fair Wine Competition, especially the Owahgena White winning gold,” said winemaker Amy Heiderich. “The Owahgena White is a carefully selected blend producing strong citrus flavors. Also, this is the third award for Owera’s Cazenovia 1793, a newer wine to our portfolio.”

Owera also will be the highlighted vineyard at the ROC Marketing Events New York Vine wine and tap room at this year’s fair. Visitors can visit the tent for a glass of the gold-medal winning Owahgena White or one of the four other featured Owera wines.

More information on Owera Vineyards can be found online at oweravineyards.com.

New to both the craft beverage scene and the state fair, Old Home Distillers in Lebanon is kicking off its debut by winning three medals and participating three programs during this year’s events.

Old Home Distillers, owned and operated by longtime area residents Gerald and Marlene Carvell, in partnership with their two adult sons Aaron and Adam, is the first legally operating whiskey distillery in Madison County since the repeal of Prohibition. They produce small batch hand-crafted distilled spirits featuring locally-grown ingredients.

The Carvells this year won three silver medals in the state fair distilling competition for their gin, corn whiskey and applejack.

“It’s a real thrill to be recognized by multiple medals in this kind of statewide competition. It’s a great honor for us especially in our first year of production,” said Aaron. “Knowing that we can hold our own while going go toe-to-toe with more experienced producers is a wonderful validation of our hard work and dedication to the craft. We’re thrilled.”

Old Home Distillers is going to be “fairly busy” at this year’s fair, Aaron said, taking part in three different programs.

On Tuesday, Aug. 30, they will be pouring samples and chatting with visitors at the Life of Reilley Disco Lemonade Party on the Empire Room patio from 3 to 7 p.m. “It’s a really nice match; we’re very pleased to represent Madison County alongside Ben and Life of Reilley,” Aaron said.

The next day, Old Home Distillers will be providing educational seminars as part of Great New York State Fair wine and cheese tasting series in the Horticultural Building. The Carvells are confirmed to offer three, 30-minute seminars at 11:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 31, where they will give overview tastings of three of their spirits and talk briefly about production processes and production philosophy.

On the evenings of Sept. 4 and 5, from 4 to 10 p.m., Old Home Distillers will offer tastings and sales of its five products at The Market in the Horticultural Building, which is an area dedicated to New York state products.

“We are really excited to be able to not only sample and provide educational opportunities to the fair, but also to bring our products to market,” Aaron said.

For more information on Old Home Distillers, visit oldhomedistillers.com.