THE SPIRITS BUSINESS

19th January, 2016 by Melita Kiely

New York’s Black Button Distilling has doubled its distillery size and brought distribution in select markets in-house, as it celebrates another year of growth.

The company will now self-distribute in the Rochester, Syracuse and Buffalo regions, effective from the start of 2016.

It comes following two years of expansion, the creation of new jobs and soaring demand attributed to the firm’s partnerships in Utica, New York and nine other states throughout the US.

Black Button Distilling praised New York State’s 2014 Craft Act, which extended the rights of farm distilleries like Black Button to permit them to self-distribute and serve cocktails in their tasting rooms, alongside other benefits.

“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,” explained Jason Barrett, Black Button Distilling owner and 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 farmers and craft brewers.

“These laws aren’t inherent across the country. Here in Western 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.

“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.”