more money could be made by taxing every bottle,” he said.
“So, I quit my job, sold my house and moved back to Roch- ester. I had started home brewing in college due to an economic need. Distilling was going to be a way to make a living and love what I was doing.”
doors for one day and sold over 700 bottles of vodka; the only spirit available at the time. In January 2014, the Roch- ester location was open permanently and will celebrate their 5 year anniversary shortly. “The biggest thing I’ve learned since then is it’s the people who work here who make this company great. You can have a great product and idea, but it’s nothing without the blood, sweat and tears of those who work with you,” he said. “We have 88 people working right now, and we truly couldn’t do this without them.” Black Button Distilling has grown dramatically. They have gone from three products to 13 and have increased distri- bution throughout New York State plus 11 others and Japan.
He had always liked tinkering, and it seemed like the ideal job for Barrett.
“My family had always been involved in button manufactur- ing, hence the name of the business,” he said. “I wanted to make something tangible with my hands. Coding and apps seem like the way of the future, but I like getting my hands dirty. I’m more tactile.” “My family had always been involved in button manufacturing, hence the name of the business.”
On December 21, 2013, Black Button Distilling opened its
“We are on pace to make 250,000 bottles in 2019. We
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2019
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