Hard Beer Ice Cream May Soon Be Legal In New York

It’s the end of the world as we know it (at least in New York State) where ice cream that delivers a real buzz may soon become a reality but you’re going to have to be at least 21 to enjoy a scoop.

Here’s the deal…

It’s been more than 10 years since a Boonville, NY dairy rocked the food and drink world by introducing legal wine ice cream. And now, Albany is poised to allow the production of beer and hard cider ice cream, too.

According to New York Upstate, “a bill making its way through the state legislature in this final week of the 2018 session would allow beer and cider ice cream.”

And the bill’s sponsor, Senator James Seward expects that the pending legislation has a seriously good chance of making it to Governor Cuomo’s desk…

“In recent weeks both the dairy and craft beer industries visited the Capitol to showcase their products,” Seward said in a statement. Farmers and brewers already enjoy a great symbiotic relationship, and this legislation will clear the way for a new product that will capitalize on homegrown New York ingredients.”

As with the wine bill, which became law in 2014, the new bill would limit the alcohol in the ice cream to 5 percent…(but there’s no limit on how many scoops you can purchase).

The bill also prohibits its sale to people under 21, (no surprise there) and requires the same product labeling and warning statements similar to wine and other products that contain alcohol.

Next step is for the bill to successfully make its way through the state Assembly and from there on to Gov. Andrew Cuomo for final approval.

Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership a whole series craft-beer friendly legislation and economic incentives have been introduced and signed into law over the years. And New York has grown from just 50 breweries back in 2011 to the 321 microbreweries, farm breweries, and restaurant breweries than now populate the state today.

Beer/Ice cream image credit: American Homebrewers Association