We keep coming back for the citrus gin! Clean and fresh so it makes a great summer drink with bitters and seltzer. I added a bottle to a Rochester themed gift basket for some out of town guests and it was a hit! I love that they use local grains and donate the used oats. Very much a LOCAL business. Attention to detail and focus on quality is apparent in their space and product. Excited to hear live music is on the calendar. Distillery/Bar is located right across from The Public Market. Plenty of street parking. Great spot. read more

Black Button Distilling - Gin! - Distilleries Near Me - Rochester, New York

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I love everything Black Button is doing - it's exciting to have a distillery in downtown Rochester finally. Tours are awesome and super educational ($5) and they're always handing out vouchers at outside events around town so keep an eye out for that. I personally love coming here for the events they do and enjoy cocktails now that that's a thing that's legal in NY. $7 for drinks featuring their liquors. Personal favorites have been their take on a moscow mule, their gimlet, the southside... Anything citrus-y, bubbly, and refreshing. Delish. Tastings on their own are harsh because straight alcohol. I've had the bourbon and gin many times. Vodka is less appealing to taste because it's pretty harsh as a wheat vodka, but better when mixed in a drink. I've purchased a lot of gifts here too - Fee Brothers bitters, syrup, flasks, tshirts, etc. Their syrup is an awesome Christmas gift for family/friends. It's on the pricey side, but it's bourbon maple syrup... you could drink it out of the bottle it's so good. You need it in your kitchen stash. They do some special blends of alcohol too like their lilac gin during Lilac Fest season (all sold out... so good!). Mixed with tonic it turns purple! Smaller batch aged bourbon has been a fan favorite too. Of course, the special stuff will take longer to age, but for now their small batch bourbon is a worthwhile buy. I'm not a huge bourbon drinking, but can swing this in an old fashioned or on the rocks every so often so that's typically my go-to. Currently have the small batch bourbon and citrus-forward gin in my bar stash at home. read more

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Black Button hits some targets and misses others. It's a fun, though compact space. There's a range of cocktails-- tasty and, though mostly nothing to write home about, they are reasonably affordable considering that the whiskey selection is universally exorbitant. $150 for a bottle of port-finished bourbon, for example, which is about twice what I'm paying for comparable, sherry cask finished single malt Scotch. The tastings, too, were spendy ($16 for the "premium" grade), and did not offer the "discount if you buy a bottle" arrangement that is pretty common in distilleries and wineries for tastings. This only irked me by way of how expensive the whiskeys were. In a world where you can get a great bottle of bourbon for $35, Black Button is charging $50, $60, or $75. I'm not a whiskey snob, by any means, but, while I enjoy a good bourbon, I have a harder time appreciating something that isn't mind-blowingly boutique quality but manages mind-blowingly boutique prices. I enjoyed the "single barrel" bourbon. The "double barrel" was good, too, but neither that nor the port-finished were out of this world. Part of this is a preference thing-- I think port flavor added to the cask-finished bourbon can sometimes add a dark, sort of cloying sweetness that is not present with something like a sherry cask-aged whiskey, which is less spicy and more aromatic. Last thing here that frustrated me was pretty weak service. It managed to get busy in here after we were well into our beverages on a midday, but vaguely paying attention to patrons when you're busy isn't exactly rocket science. In spite of an unremarkable experience, I will say that I'm all for promoting local distilling operations, especially when they distill their own spirits, serve them, and offer a range of good tastes for clientele, so, while I didn't have the greatest experience of all time, I'd definitely be back to try more. read more

Black Button Distilling - Tasty cocktail with frothy bitters! - Distilleries Near Me - Rochester, New York

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A friend and I went here on nye. We did the tour, $5 tastings for 4 tastings and stayed for a couple of drinks. Everything was great. Our tour guide was funny and knew her info. My friend had an old fashioned and he said it was on his top 3. Their bourbon, citrus gin, cream and apple moonshine were all good. I tried their apple pie sour and Bloody Mary drinks. Apple pie sour was delicious. Their Bloody Mary was good, but it's very spicy and I do spicy. It can be toned down a bit. I Definitely want to come back to this place when I'm in town again. read more

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Those that work here truly love what they do, know their stuff, and are more than happy to share their knowledge with you. I was lucky enough to have a friend working when I went, and he took me on a tour in the back and wow, I like booze but never realized exactly how much work went into making it. It truly is a labor of love. I'm pretty sure the tours are available for everyone though, just not 100% on the times/days. My favorite when I went was the gin. Yum! They also have a person that sells maple syrup which is freaking amazing. Most products they sell are available for sampling for a small fee, and trust me, it's worth it. read more

Black Button Distilling - Where the magic happens.. - Distilleries Near Me - Rochester, New York

I'm not a huge fan of liquor, but I received a Groupon as a present for a tasting (the Sunday Funday one). The staff were friendly and helpful, and I loved the cocktail they suggested! We didn't do the tour, but I would go back again. read more

Black Button Distilling - Distilleries Near Me - Rochester, New York

I purchased a Sunday Funday for Two pass on Groupon to celebrate my boyfriend's raise and we were shown a great time. They gave us a comprehensive tour of the distillery, explained their history and their creative blends. We also got a tasting of their liquors and homemade sauces, as well as two drinks with our passes. The atmosphere is very relaxed and they have items for sale like their liquors, t-shirts, wood chips made from their used barrels, and other merch items. Definitely recommend grabbing a Sunday Funday for yourself or for someone else as a gift! read more

Black Button Distilling - Distilleries Near Me - Rochester, New York

Fun tour, great alcohol, and would be five stars, but it is so hard to get someone to care about taking your order at their bar!

Got the Loganberry cocktail and it's very good. Sweet enough and the right amount of gin in it. Served in glasses with their logo on them that I liked. The atmosphere is very cool as well, and lots of cool merch you can buy. A little small but it wasn't crowded when I went. I can see it getting a little bit too crowded in there however. Very enjoyable overall. read more

Black Button Distilling - Loganberry cocktail - Distilleries Near Me - Rochester, New York

Nice cozy ambience! Great assortment of whiskeys and gin. Also, has a brewery with great choices. They have a nice selection of overall drinks and appetizers! read more

Black Button Distilling - Distilleries Near Me - Rochester, New York

How clever! A bar, distillery, event space, and cool example of local flavor rolled into one, is how I would describe BB I came here recently to take advantage of a groupon for a "Sunday Funday" which included 2 cocktails, a tour of the distillery for 2 and a tasting session where we sampled whiskey, gin, moonshine cream and assorted sauces that they also sell. FYI when you check in on yelp be prepared for a free tour offer to pop up. Then you'll wonder why the eff you paid for one if it was free. Then you'll remember the tour you bought includes a cocktail and tasting but youll wonder if it was worth the price as the cocktails are $9...but anyway The tour was really entertaining, and informative; I had no clue that much science and plumbing/pipes were involved in making booze. Our guide went through the whole process and talked about the history of black button and what multiple purposes the space has today including weddings, private events, and a place to drink with your buddies. Yes I was a fan and they sell bottles of all their booze and sauces, I couldn't resist the bacon bourbon ketchup...it will take your french fries to another level. On the other hand, I'm not sure how likely I am to return...if they have so many private functions how can you be sure they are open without calling first? Also the cocktail I got (I think it was called not quite a mule or something) was not great. They do offer some munchies/food but can't comment on them. It seems tho, that this place is blessed by the yelp-o-sphere read more

I've been to Black Button several times, for a few tastings, a comedy event, and drinks. So far, I've not been disappointed. The staff is super friendly and very knowledgeable. The tours are educational and well worth the $5 ticket price. (Note: there's pretty much always a deal on Groupon for tour+tasting so make sure you check for that.) They occasionally have events at the distillery; I went to a comedy show that they set up in the actual distilling space. Very cool. Overall, I cannot say this is the best craft liquor I've ever had; I'm a gin drinker and their offering is not my favorite on its own. Mixed drinks are pretty good though. What makes this place are the amazing people and the atmosphere in the bar. This is still a very young brand so maybe the best is yet to come. It's nice that Rochester is able to boast this location, and I'm certainly excited for their future here. read more

I went here with my girlfriend during the Lilac Festival, and they had a lilac gin and several associated cocktails that were all absolutely phenomenal. The staff were also very polite, and even the outdoor seating was kept very clean and nice. read more

Oh man, where do I start? Great atmosphere. Great vibes. Great people. And the drinks weren't too bad either. Listen kinfolk, come through if you want a good time. Ask for Mary, she'll hook you up. Apple pie moonshine? Yes please. Barrel reserve gin? No doubt. Four grain straight bourbon? Absolutely. Cannot praise this place enough. read more

I came here with my boyfriend on a random Groupon adventure. The tour was really informatice and the drinks were delicious. We got to sample what we would like and the bartender was very attentive. I would def recommend if you are in the area, check them out. Small but felt cozy and service was good. You get to keep the souvenir shot glasses! read more

Black Button Distilling - Distilleries Near Me - Rochester, New York

Well, came to Rochester specifically to taste here. We tried them at a festival event and loved them-- but they apparently don't update their hours online (both on Yelp, Google and their stand-alone website), so we could couldn't get in. Wanted to buy a case, but oh well. There's a brewery next door where you'll get much better service( see my review for Rorbach). Good lavender gin? I'm not sure. Can't quite remember. Wish we could have tasted. read more

We loved it here. Husband and I stopped in tonight to sample some Bourbon. We got a lot more then expected! The bartenders were very friendly and knowledgeable. They gave me a lot of samples. My husband also had a Bloody Mary and he said it was the best he ever had. We asked the bartender how it was made and she went as far as writing it down for us. We bought a few bottles and also some Bloody Mary mix. We will be back for sure! read more

Black Button Distilling - Distilleries Near Me - Rochester, New York

My significant other got a Groupon for the tasting and tour. No better way to spend a afternoon to taste some local distilled products with knowledgeable staff. The tasting room is cozy and inviting And the staff is very passionate of there products. I hope the are very successful read more

I was up in Rochester for the day. Went to the brewery next door. So I had to come by and try some whiskey. Really impressed with the whiskeys. They were all good. Bought some bourbon. Next time I'm in Rochester, I'll definitely be back! read more

Black Button Distilling - Distilleries Near Me - Rochester, New York

Such a nice change to have a distillery in Monroe County outside of all the breweries and cideries that have popped up!! Must try the Burbon Cream!!! read more

Black Button Distilling - Distilleries Near Me - Rochester, New York

I had my husbands 50th birthday party here and did a "Dessert and Drinks" theme. The bar rental fee was fair and I had an open bar for a two hour period. I brought in a cake and various other desserts from Wegmans and we were able to decorate on our own as well. The decor is cool & cozy and fit our group of 35 comfortably. We had more than enough room for everyone to mix and mingle without feeling crowded. A tour was included which the guests loved (we had a few distillery enthusiasts in attendance). Very informative and entertaining. All of the drinks were pretty amazing and they had something for everyone; mixed drinks, beer and non-alcoholic beverages. One of the favorites of the night seemed to be The Root Beer Float - yum! And I cannot say enough about what a great job the entire crew did! Everyone was very friendly and attentive to the guests. I would highly recommend Black Button for your next event as it will be memorable and everyone will be well taken care of. I'm so thankful I found this place and good time was had by all. Best 50th birthday party ever! read more

I have never been to a distillery for a tasting, but this one sets the bar. I am not going to lie, I was a bit nervous. My sister in law had made an itinerary for us and we stopped at a brewery first. This was our second stop. I do not know about you, but mixing does not always bode well, so I was hesitant. We walked in and it was quite busy. There is a long bar with a few small tables and a big window to view the stills, vats, equipment, etc. We decided on a tasting, but asked our wonderful spirit guide, Emily, if we could substitute the vodka for the gin because my sister and I have both bad some bad experiences in the past. Emily told us she would give us the vodka, but also stated she required us to taste the gin because it was different. I thought to myself...that's what everyone says, but we went along with it. The vodka was the first and set me immediately at ease. It was so smooth and delicious. My worries about mixing beer and spirits started to dissipate. We also tasted the bourbon, apple pie moonshine, and the bourbon cream. All extremely good. I will admit....I think Emily converted us. The gin was good. She said that they used half the amount of juniper in theirs and that citrus was substituted in its place. The smell did not make me gag and the taste did not result in a bitter face. It honestly WAS enjoyable. Just the smell of a gin and tonic would turn my stomach. And I was doubtful at first because although the smell was not as in your face as normal gins it still is that juniper that makes me remember the ghosts of gins past. The taste was nothing like it though and not at all what I expected it to be. Emily made me a believer. Our whole experience here was fun and I wish we could have stayed longer, but we were on a tight schedule. Emily was fantastic and one of the best parts of our experience. She was very knowledgeable, personable, and funny. The bar had many options even if you did not want to do the spirit tastings. They served drinks made with their spirits and they also had Rohrbach beers on tap, the brewery of which is right next door. They also had some wines available too. I am kicking myself for it but they had bourbon barrel maple syrup, which I should have picked up. There is always next time and for this place, I will make sure there is a next time. read more

Black Button Distilling - Gin converts. - Distilleries Near Me - Rochester, New York

This place is a must! I ordered the bees knees cocktail which has the seasonal lilac gin and it was so yummy i bought a bottle of the gin when we left! We did the tour and it was extremely informational.. plus we got to taste a variety of their gin and bourbons. If you're not a bourbon or gin person they do have vodka - so don't worry! This place was truly a gem. These folks are very dedicated to their craft and it shows! The staff was phenomenal. Their bar area is very cool. It's not a dark, moody place but a bright and cheery room with a laid back atmosphere. Great place to grab a cocktail and spend the afternoon catching up with friends. This is one of the top distilleries in the nation so check it out! read more

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Usually by Monday morning, I'm already looking forward to the upcoming Sunday's bloody mary at B.B.D. They warn you in advance - these things are spicy. As far as I've tried so far, it's the best bloody mary in the city. All of the other signature cocktails I've tried have been well-made and tasty. The bartenders are strong in their ability to describe the products; educating customers on what they're tasting and how things are made - if you're curious to know. The seating is limited, but I've never been here during peak hours. No permanent menu, but pretzels are out for snacking, and food trucks regularly stop by. read more

Nice to have a distillery in town. So far so good with the vodka. I don't love vodka but gin is coming and so is whisky. Those will be the deciding factor for me. I'll update based on them. Note: They have a nice selection of paraphernalia also that'd make good gifts. read more

Born and raised in Rochester and I never knew this place existed! The people are awesome and you learn so much. Our your guide was Nicole and she not only knew the information very well but she answered all our questions and was really a pleasure to talk to. This is a great thing to do to try something new and get out of the house. The apple pie moonshine is a delicious desert and the maple syrup made in the old bourbon barrels is to die for. Definitely would recommend this place to family and friends and would love to come back! read more

Black Button Distilling - On the tour - Distilleries Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Love this place! Cocktails and tastings are great. Tour is modest but informative. Killer bloody marys, and the ONLY Gin i will drink! read more

Black Button Distilling - Bloody Mary! - Distilleries Near Me - Rochester, New York

Went on Black Friday. Brought our family visiting from California. There was a tasting going on which we believe may have been private. No one even acknowledged our presence. We wanted to buy liquor and souvenirs. After waiting by the register for more than 5 minutes we just left. Horrible service!!! read more

I have been on the tour a few times with out of town guests and have learned something new each time. I don't care for Gin so can't speak to that but have enjoyed all of the other liquors made here. I am a Rochester transplant so like to bring local gifts when I travel home. One time I forgot about picking something up so called over to black button on a weekday and explained my motivation, they told me that they actually weren't open but they would leave the door open and to stop on over. Spoke with the owner for a period of time and was able to pick up some gifts. I very much appreciated that personal touch. I have made this a continual stop and enjoy it even better now that they have mixed drinks along with tastings. Staff is always pleasant and knowledgeable. Fun place!! Plus LOVE to support local businesses/locally produced!!!!! read more

Came here for a 'Sunday Funday' package through Groupon, and absolutely loved it! Great space, great drinks, great distillery tour. Will absolutely be back. Thank you!! read more

We signed up for a tour and tasting today and had a blast. The tour was informative, and it was great to have a cocktail in hand for it. The tasting was a lot of fun and it was awesome to try new spirits. The maple syrup is amazing and the Bloody Mary mix is spicy and delicious. We loved our free glasses from the tasting and went home with a bottle of bourbon, maple syrup and a buzz. read more

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This place is cute inside and fun for a quick stop-in. Maybe you're doing tastings here and Rohrbachs, and you're bound to have a good time! Their moonshines are excellent, and their bourbon cream is wayyy better than Baileys in my opinion!!! Try to go to some of the events that they have, like when they come out with new liquors, those are always a great time! read more

I'm not a liquor sippin' fellow but I found the tour very cool and interesting. The bar makes all your favorite drinks, and the shop has items any bar owner would love. read more

Great local distillery. I've been on the tour and it was really interesting. I'm not a huge drinker, but I really enjoy that quality liquors are made right around the corner! read more

I went here for a tour and a tasting and after learning more about this place, I couldn't believe I had never heard of them or checked them out before! The tour had a lot of people in it, but our tour guide did a great job of controlling everyone, making it feel intimate and was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. The tasting was so much fun, we tried their citrus gin, aged bourbon, apple pie moonshine and my personal favorite- the bourbon and cream! The place overall is pretty small, but there's a lot of seats right at the bar and a few very small tables in the center of the room. From the quick glance I saw, they have a wonderful cocktail selection as well. What a fun atmosphere! read more

In addition to great, hand-crafted, local booze, Black Button has some of the most amazing maple syrup I've ever had in all my life. When I asked how long it stays good once it's opened the response was, "I've never had a bottle last long enough to find out." read more

This Distillery is a great addition to Rochester! I wish this was a place back when I lived in Rochester, I'd be here all the time. My first time here, I tried everything they make. Everything was really good, especially the bourbon. My second time I did the special bourbon sampler. It had different 3 different bourbons, each aged different amounts, and with different mixes of barrels, and one was single barrel. All were really good and the pours were generous. I am not a big gin drinker, but I thought the Lilac Gin was pretty good. Weirdly enough, I liked it better then the traditional gin they make. The girl working was really cool, giving us some history of the distillery and being cool about letting us try different things that weren't necessarily in our sample package. $5 for 4 samples is a pretty good deal, plus you get to keep your sample glass which is nice. I also like that they have heron hill wines and Rohrbach beers, and use a locally made bitters. It's nice seeing smaller local businesses supporting each other. Definitely check out their bourbon and the bourbon cream. It's like Baileys, but with bourbon. it's a game changer. read more

Black Button Distilling - Bourbon sampler $9 - had smaller batch and single barrel bourbons - definitely worth getting - Distilleries Near Me - Rochester, New York

Best kept secret in Rochester is slowly being unleashed. Go for a tasting and ask for a tour. Their liquors are crafted for taste and quality... Even the casual drinker will be pleasantly surprised that sipping these liquors is actually enjoyable. When you leave you'll be bursting with hometown pride... And likely some super cool swag from the tasting room gift shop. Make your own gin kit? Yes, please. read more

Had the Mele Kalikimaka, and it was delicious! I also went on the tour, and I loved the Bourbon Cream, Apple Pie Moonshine, and their maple syrup. It was crowded, which is good for them but hard to move around. read more

Delicious distilled beverages!!!! They are so friendly and have so much a awesome stuff!!