Albany, NY - October 16, 2013 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today congratulated seven New York breweries that won medals at the Great American Beer Festival, which took place in Denver, Colorado from Oct. 10 through 12. This festival plays host to one of the preeminent beer competitions in the entire country, attracting hundreds of brewers from across the country and thousands of tourists from around the world.

“New York is quickly becoming the craft beer capital of the country,” Governor Cuomo said. “This year at the renowned Great American Beer Festival, New York’s home-grown craft breweries won big – bringing home gold, silver, and bronze medals in contests with brewers from across the country. On behalf of all New Yorkers, I offer my congratulations to these breweries on their big win.”

This year’s Gold, Silver and Bronze medal winners from New York are as follows:

• Gold Medal in the Experimental Beer Category - Captain Lawrence Brewing Co. (Elmsford) – 2013 Hops n’ Roses Beer
• Silver Medal in the International-Style Pale Ale Category – Peekskill Brewery (Peekskill) – 2013 Amazeballs Beer
• Bronze Medal in the Belgian Style Abbey Ale Category – Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown) – 2013 Ommegang Three Philosophers Beer
• Bronze Medal in the Field Beer or Pumpkin Beer Category – Great South Bay Brewery (Bay Shore) – 2013 Splashing Pumpkin Beer
• Bronze Medal in the French and Belgian-Style Saison Category – Crossroads Brewing Company (Athens) – 2013 Maggie’s Farmhouse Ale
• Bronze Medal in the Rye Beer Category – Blue Point Brewing Company (Patchogue) – 2013 RastafaRye Beer
• Bronze Medal in the South German-Style Hefeweizen – Brooklyn Brewery (Brooklyn) – 2013 Brooklyner Weisse Beer

In total, 21 New York State breweries took part in this year’s Great American Beer Festival, including: Blue Point Brewing Co. (Patchogue), Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown), Brooklyn Brewery (Brooklyn), Captain Lawrence Brewing Company (Elmsford), CH Evans Brewing (Albany), Chelsea Brewing Company (NYC), Crossroads Brewing Company (Athens), Empire Brewing Company (Syracuse), Genesee Brew House (Rochester), Great South Bay Brewery (Bay Shore), Ithaca Beer Co. (Ithaca), Keegan Ales (Kingston), Magic Hat Brewing Co. (Buffalo), Peekskill Brewery (Peekskill), Port Jeff Brewing Company (Port Jefferson), Portland Brewing (Buffalo), Pyramid Breweries (Buffalo), Roc Brewing Co. (Rochester), Saranac Brewery (Utica), Schmaltz Brewing Co. (Clifton Park), and Sixpoint Brewery (Brooklyn).

Paul Leone, executive director of the New York State Brewers Association said, “The Great American Beer Festival is a world class festival celebrating the best craft beer in the United States. This year, New York beer companies large and small took home seven medals, further demonstrating the quality of beer being brewed in this state.”

The craft beers brewed by many of these companies have been highlighted at various Taste NY events throughout the state, including Brooklyn Brewery which recently played host to a Taste NY Oktoberfest event featuring more than 20 New York State brewers at its headquarters in Brooklyn. Taste NY was launched by Governor Cuomo to highlight New York's food and beverage industry, ultimately making the State’s wide variety of products readily available and recognizable to New York residents, tourists and the world.

Taste NY is also a major component of the Governor’s $60 million tourism campaign – the largest such campaign in decades. The program publicizes New York-made food and beverage products via promotions such as Taste NY tents and pavilions at food and wine events and Taste NY stores and kiosks located at Thruway rest stops and soon at airports and other transportation hubs such as Grand Central Station. In 2013, Taste NY has already had a large presence at the PGA Tournament in Rochester and the Great New York State Fair in Syracuse.

For more information about New York craft beers, please visit www.taste.ny.gov.