WITH ROCHESTER’S BLACK BUTTON DISTILLING MISSING OUT ON BARRELS OF BUSINESS FROM FEDS HOLDING UP EXPANSION PLANS, SCHUMER CALLS ON TTB TO CUT THROUGH RED TAPE & APPROVE PLANS TO HELP BLACK BUTTON EXPAND
Black Button Distilling Has Major Expansion Plans To Build NYS’ Largest-Ever Bourbon Barrel Warehouse on Lyell Ave in Rochester And Hire More New Yorkers, But Due To Fed Inaction They Have Been Waiting For Months To Move Forward With Plans To Turn Great NY-Grown Agricultural Products Into More Barrels Of Great NY-Grown Bourbon
Now, Schumer Is Calling On TTB To Approve Black Button’s Plans To Help Unstick Bureaucracy And Help Unlock Bourbon Industry Growth For Rochester
Schumer: Unnecessary Wait Times Shouldn’t Put Black Button’s Business On The Rocks, It Is Time For TTB To Stop Idling And Help Uplift The Spirits Of This New Expansion In The Greater Rochester Region
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer today called on the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) to immediately approve Black Button Distilling’s plans to open a new barrel storage warehouse in Rochester, which will support their ongoing efforts to grow their business and newly opened location, expand production, and hire more workers. Schumer said the three-month long delay on TTB approval has prevented Black Button from moving forward with their expansion project, straining operations and costing them business, which is why he is urging TTB to swiftly approve the distillery’s plans that will continue to grow their business and the regional economy by providing more good-paying jobs for New Yorkers and investing in more home-grown agricultural and local NY products.
“Black Button Distilling is not only a vital part of the booming beverage industry in Rochester, but a favorite spot for locals to meet, celebrate, and socialize. It’s unacceptable that waiting on approval from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is putting Black Button’s expansion plans on the rocks and causing them to miss out on barrels of new business ,” said Senator Schumer. “That’s why I’m pushing TTB to stop their idling and immediately approve this expansion project, so more home-grown NY products can be distilled into more Rochester-made bourbon, boosting both good paying jobs and the region’s economy. This is the last call for the feds, because I am going to do everything I can to get Black Button the approval they need to grow and thrive in New York and beyond.”
"Black Button Distilling is committed to always being on the right side of all liquor laws. But having to wait months and months for a response from the TTB while paying rent and being denied access to the space to grow is a major setback. As a small business, the help we have received from Senator Chuck Schumer's office in navigating the federal liquor bureaucracy is vital to our growth,” said Jason Barrett, Founder & President, Black Button Distilling. “By helping us get to the right decision makers inside the oversight departments, we are able to move forward, grow our business and hire more employees to make more New York grown whiskey.”
Schumer explained that Black Button Distilling is planning to open a new barrel storage warehouse, which will hold 15,000 barrels of Bourbon and be the largest purpose-built barrel storage warehouse in all of New York State. The Senator said the opening of the new barrel storage warehouse is an integral part of Black Button’s recent expansion, including it’s opening of a new expanded production and tasting room at a new 28,000 square foot facility on University Avenue in the heart of Rochester. The associated new barrel storage facility site complements the new expanded production/tasting room and is vital to Black Button executing their expansion and growth plans.
However, Schumer said Black Button has been waiting for over three months for their two applications to be reviewed and cannot move forward on the bourbon barrel aging warehouse until TTB has processed and approved their plans, which has caused significant strain on the distillery and has delayed their ability to both grow their business and hire more workers to turn great NY-grown agricultural products into great NY-grown bourbon.
Schumer explained that Black Button Distilling is a staple in the Rochester region; they started as a one-man operation over a decade ago and have since grown into a nationally-renowned distillery with 87 employees making 40 barrels/day of bourbon produced with New York grown ingredients. Black Button is Rochester’s first grain-to-glass distillery since prohibition and operates in a sustainable fashion, using only locally sourced ingredients with 100% of Black Button’s whiskey ingredients sourced from within 50 miles of the distillery to make their bourbon. Schumer said that because they use NY agricultural products and purchase products local to NY, they are a vital business to the area and must be able to expand to continue serving the community and region. Schumer is pushing for TTB take the necessary steps to quickly approve the applications so Black Button and the regional alcohol beverage industry can continue to thrive.
A copy of Schumer’s letter to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau appears below:
I write to request the expeditious approval of two applications submitted by Black Button Distilling to the Federal Tobacco and Trade Bureau (TTB) which are necessary to enable a significant expansion of this growing Rochester, NY business. Black Button is a staple in the Rochester region; they started as a one-man operation over a decade ago and have since grown into a nationally-renowned distillery with 87 employees making 40 barrels/day of bourbon produced with New York grown ingredients.
These two applications (a corporate change notice and a new noncontiguous bond approval) are vital for Black Button to continue their ongoing expansion projects. The distillery is currently in the process of opening a new barrel warehouse on Lyell Avenue in Rochester, NY which will hold 15,000 barrels of Bourbon and be the largest purpose-built barrel storage warehouse in all of New York State. However they cannot proceed until the bond approval has been processed and approved by TTB.
Unfortunately, Black Button has been waiting over three months for their applications to be reviewed. This has caused significant strain and has delayed their ability to both grow their business and hire more workers. The opening of the new barrel storage warehouse is an integral part of Black Button recent expansion including it’s opening of a new expanded production and tasting room at a new 28,000 square foot location in the heart of Rochester. The associated new barrel storage facility site complements the new expanded production/tasting room and is vital to enable Black Button to execute on their expansion growth plans.
It’s crucial that these applications be reviewed and processed as quickly as possible. Thank you in advance for your consideration and assistance to allow this great New York business to continue to grow their operations.
Sincerely,
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