Capital Region farm cidery Nine Pin is expanding its business and opening a new cannery in downtown Albany.
Nine Pin has been crafting hard cider using locally sourced apples and fruits for a decade. Alejandro del Peral, an Albany resident, founded the company after college using apples grown on his small family farm.
The new facility is located in a former vacant building in the warehouse district and was built with a National Grid Main Street Revitalization grant. Co-founder Sonya del Peral, Alejandro’s mother, said the new cannery helps improve the company’s workplace efficiency.
“The cider that we packaged here supports main street revitalization efforts throughout the state of New York, where our cider is sold in other tasting rooms and bars and restaurants and mom and pop liquor stores that are part of downtown redevelopment. So, with this expansion, we’ve increased our production capacity for the premium ciders that the Nine Pin brand represents.”
The new 7,000-square foot facility brings Nine Pin’s total footprint in Albany to about 24,000 square feet. It will process about 32,000 12-inch slim cans per day.
Albany County Executive Dan McCoy said it’s important step toward revitalizing an area once known for its manufacturing that has been rejuvenated in recent years.
“It’s not possible without partnerships.”
Several major projects were announced this summer to bring businesses and hundreds of new apartments to the area.
“It shows what you can do, how you can revitalize a neighborhood like this warehouse district, but it’s not possible without partnerships.”
The Democrat noted the Albany County Legislature Monday approved a resolution to allocate $30,000 to create wayfinding signs promoting craft breweries, wineries and cideries along the Albany County Beverage Trail.
Mayor Kathy Sheehan noted before fellow Democrat Kathy Hochul became governor, Nine Pin was one of the first ribbon cutting ceremonies the then-lieutenant governor attended.
After the ribbon cutting ceremony there was a tour. Alejandro del Peral said the facility creates about 45 cans per minute, or 3,000 gallons of cider per day.
“On a wholesale level, we make our signature cider, our ginger cider and four seasonal can cider. On a retail level at our tasting room on Broadway, we make hundreds of different types of ciders every single year.”