Black Button Distilling to open its new tasting room on University Ave. Here's a sneak peek

Tracy Schuhmacher, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Updated ·3 min read

When Black Button Distilling became the first craft distillery to open in Monroe County since Prohibition, its entire footprint totaled 5,000 square feet.

When the distillery officially opens in its new location at 1344 University Ave. on Saturday, July 15, its tasting room alone will comprise that square footage. The space, at 28,000 square feet, is more than quadruple the size of Railroad Street. (It also has dramatic 53-foot ceilings, perfect for housing tall distillation towers.)

One reason for the larger tasting room is the demand for private events, said Jason Barrett, who started the company at age 24 and is also its master distiller. On Railroad Street, the entire distillery would have to close to host events. The new space has three rooms adjacent to the tasting room that can be sectioned off; one has large garage doors that can be raised to give an open-air feel.

It's also worth noting that the that larger square footage doesn't include the distillery's rickhouse in Gates, where the bourbon barrels are stored. Rickhouses deliberately do not have heat or air conditioning; Barrett said Rochester's dramatic temperature swings cause the barrels to expand and contract, which speeds up aging.

Owner Jason Barrett walks past his original mash ton tank, 600 gallons, seen at far left, in the production area at the new location of Black Button Distilling, now located at 1344 University Ave in Rochester. The new mash ton, seen just to the right of the original, is 6,000 gallons.
Owner Jason Barrett walks past his original mash ton tank, 600 gallons, seen at far left, in the production area at the new location of Black Button Distilling, now located at 1344 University Ave in Rochester. The new mash ton, seen just to the right of the original, is 6,000 gallons.

As on Railroad Street, the building is industrial in nature. It was originally part of a factory that made munitions during World War I; the complex is also home to Mullers Cider House and Nine Maidens Brewing.

More that's new

Here's what else changed at the distillery:

  • When the tasting room opened on Railroad Street in 2014, it couldn't legally sell food. When the law changed, Black Button squeezed in some dorm-sized refrigerators to offer a small menu. The new location has a full kitchen. It will start with waffles and pretzel bites and add more options over time.

  • When the tasting room opened on Railroad Street, it also couldn't legally sell cocktails. It now offers a list of cocktails that highlight the distillery's spirits. An ice machine dispenses large cocktail cubes.

  • The new tasting room serves not only its own spirits, but also beers, ciders and wines from a rotating group of local producers.

  • The distillery will eventually ramp up its production of bourbon, rye whiskey, vodka, gin and other products dramatically, but that part of the distillery is still under construction. Visitors will be able to watch the progress through large windows behind the bar.

  • The distillery's best-selling product wasn't in the picture when it originally opened. Black Button Bourbon Cream, an Irish cream-type liqueur made with New York state cream, now accounts for roughly half of its sales.

  • Canned cocktails weren't a thing when the distillery first opened. Now it offers CanBee, a canned version of its Bee's Knees cocktail.

  • Black Button started a farm for growing corn, oak and juniper in 2018. That endeavor has had its challenges, including a dramatic infestation of gypsy moths in 2020 and, more recently, flooding. But Barrett is cautiously optimistic that Black Button will produce the distillery's first estate bourbon ― made with its own corn and aged in oak barrels made from trees on its property ― this year.

  • The new tasting room has a large retail space that sells its spirits as well as merchandise including custom-engraved glasses.

If you go

The new location of Black Button Distilling, now located at 1344 University Ave in Rochester.
The new location of Black Button Distilling, now located at 1344 University Ave in Rochester.

Black Button Distilling is at 1344 University Ave. It shares an entrance with Roc City Circus. Parking is available on the street and in a lot on the east end of the building; the entrance to the parking lot is on Blossom Road.

On July 15, its official opening day, Black Button Distilling will be open noon to 6 p.m. Beginning the following weekend, it will be open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Hours may be expanded after Labor Day.

The space is wheelchair accessible. Its men's and women's bathrooms both have fold-down changing tables.

Find more information at blackbuttondistilling.com or call 585-730-4512.

A look back at Black Button Distilling

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Black Button Distilling opens tasting room on University Ave. in Rochester NY