DISTILLERY TRAIL

By Distillery Trail Posted January 27, 2016  In Blog

Black Button Distilling, a New York state farm distillery, marks another year of growth and change with a return to self-distribution in the Rochester, Syracuse and Buffalo regions.

In two short years since the distillery opened in January 2014, Black Button Distilling has hired additional production staff and doubled the original size of the distillery to accommodate the demand for their craft spirits. Black Button product is available via distributors in Utica, New York City, and elsewhere as well as 11 states across the Northeast.

New York State’s 2014 CRAFT Act greatly expanded the rights of farm distillers, allowing Black Button Distilling to self-distribute and serve cocktails in their tasting room. This return to self-distribution means Black Button Distilling can hire people to cover the Western New York region, and form direct relationships with the bars, restaurants and other wholesale accounts that serve Black Button Distilling products to consumers.

“In New York State you have to be a farm distillery to have the privilege of self-distribution, it’s one of the incentives to help those who help promote New York State agriculture,” said Jason Barrett, Black Button Distilling owner/head distiller. “One of the reasons the craft beverage movement is so strong in New York is because the Governor has added these privileges for farm distillers and craft brewers.”

He added, “These laws aren’t inherent across the country. Here in New York, we’re lucky to benefit from a reasonable licensing fee, the right to self-distribute, serve cocktails and sell bottles in our tasting room,” said Barrett. “We reap the benefits of having the third best laws for craft distilleries in the country, only behind Oregon and Colorado. The state of New York is very friendly to the craft beverage movement and it’s imperative for growth for us to get our products to market,” he said.

Black Button specializes in farm to still spirits. All Black Button spirits, including Four Grain Bourbon,Citrus Forward Gin and Bespoke Bourbon Cream, are distilled, aged, bottled, and labeled by hand at the distillery in Rochester, New York.