by Thomas Kaplan

ALBANY — The state capital has seen its share of drinking over the years. But rarely has the imbibing had such an imprimatur as on Wednesday, when Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo held a summit meeting devoted to alcohol.

At one point in the day, the Executive Mansion was transformed into an elaborate tasting room: nearly two dozen breweries, wineries and distilleries offered samples, and visitors were given souvenir corkscrews bearing Mr. Cuomo’s name.

The reason for the gathering was to highlight one of New York State’s growing industries, a bright spot at a time when the state’s unemployment rate stands at 8.9 percent. Mr. Cuomo said he had seen “phenomenal growth” in the industry during his 22 months as governor: according to the New York State Liquor Authority, the number of farm wineries has increased 17 percent, the number of microbreweries 74 percent and the number of farm distilleries 211 percent.

Many of the purveyors who were on hand said they were thrilled that Mr. Cuomo wanted to highlight their industry, especially given the sometimes hostile relationship with regulators.

“For four years now, I’ve been trying to make a connection with the governor’s office,” said Ralph J. Erenzo, a founder of Tuthilltown Spirits in the Hudson Valley, who said a state official had once likened him to a drug dealer. He called the summit meeting “a wonderful change from the old days.”

Eager to give the industry a lift, Mr. Cuomo pledged to make a series of policy changes in response to complaints from manufacturers, many of them small breweries and wineries, about matters like licensing.

Mr. Cuomo said the state would allocate as much as $3 million to pay for new advertising for the state’s producers of wine, beer and spirits. And after hearing complaints that it was difficult to find New York wines and beers at the State Fair and at the Saratoga Race Course, he said he would see to it that both the fair and the state’s racetracks did a better job promoting local products.

The wine-and-beer gathering followed a playbook Mr. Cuomo set in August, with a yogurt summit meeting held to promote and assist the state’s expanding industry in Greek-style yogurt. As was the case with yogurt, the mixing of alcohol and policy making proved fodder for humor.

“Is there a connection between my governorship and people drinking more?” Mr. Cuomo said. “I don’t know. But, if they’re drinking more New York product, great — I’m happy.”

Ever the politician, Mr. Cuomo kept his own alcohol preferences close to the vest. Asked his favorite brew by a reporter, he said his only preference was “New York beer.” Pressed on whether he was more of “a beer guy or a wine guy,” he professed himself to be “a beer and wine and hard cider and distilled products guy.”

For some, the highlight of the day came at the mansion. The tasting was large enough that the Cuomo administration produced a map that showed which alcohol purveyors could be found where.

Mr. Cuomo worked the crowd without a drink, although he occasionally stopped for a taste.

He inspected a bottle of Vintner’s Vodka, a grape-based vodka produced by Finger Lakes Distilling (“He was pretty interested in what defines certain products, for instance, what makes a vodka a vodka,” its president, Brian A. McKenzie, said), and then a bottle of bourbon whiskey from Tuthilltown Spirits (Mr. Cuomo said he had it on hand at the mansion).

And he sampled the Wet Hop IPA from the Saranac Brewery in Utica, which was made with locally grown hops.

“He loved it,” said Fred Matt, the president of the Matt Brewing Company, which makes Saranac.

“I’m going to get him to come pick hops with us next year,” Mr. Matt added.