Leveraging Local: Craft Malt as a Path to Success & Sustainability

Just inside the entrance of Brooklyn’s Strong Rope Brewery, a framed map hangs against a white brick wall. It’s prominently displayed and hard to miss, just to the left of a handsome, black walnut bar top. But instead of orienting visitors to the neighborhood, or even the borough, this map depicts the entire state of New York. Look closely, and you’ll see familiar place names, but you’ll also spot locations that don’t necessarily ring a bell: orchards, fruit farms, and hop yards. For owners Jason Sahler and Christina Quintero however, these producers are crucial to the success of their business, a brewery that transitioned to sourcing all of its ingredients from New York in 2018.