Schumer Wants Long Island Incubator To Get Local Craft Beer Industry Brewing
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A micro-brewery incubator proposed by a leading senator would be the first of its kind in New York.
As TV 10/55's Long Island Bureau Chief Richard Rose reported, the incubator would be used to support the rapidly growing industry of locally made craft beers.
Forklifts filled with kegs of beer have been working around the clock at Great South Bay Brewery in the Town of Islip.
Sales at the microbrewery have more than doubled since its start just five years ago. Now, ten full time workers keep the locally created business bubbling.
"Our beer is available in all of New York state, all of Connecticut, central New Jersey, and eastern Pennsylvania," Phil Ebel said.
From a virtual garage startup to shipping thousands of barrels, Great South Bay is one of nearly 30 microbreweries born on Long Island in the last decade.
Soon, they may get even more competition.
"Long Island could become the brewing Mecca of Long Island," Senator Charles Schumer (D-New York) said.
On Monday, Schumer proposed turning a dilapidated former missile factory in Copaigue into headquarters for anyone with a dream and a beer.
"Hundreds of Long Islanders who brew in their garages or makeshift facilities would have the chance to taste and perfect the recipes in a state of the art commercial space," Schumer said.
Schumer has called for federal grant money to pay for the $12-million makeover that the building would need. The state said the former superfund site has been cleaned up well enough to allow the giant tanks and machinery that would be needed to operate a proposed dozen microbreweries.
Great South Bay managers said they don't mind the competition and would even help lend a hand to anyone with a good beer.
"It's more about us trying to take away market shares from the larger breweries. i think the more local the beer the better," Ebel said.
If the money is approved, backers said you could see the first microbreweries within the year.
Statewide, beer making is a $5-billion business employing more than 8,000 New Yorkers.
