Rochester, New York-based Black Button Distilling, the city’s first grain-to-glass distillery since prohibition, has donated over 1,600 gallons of FDA approved hand sanitizer to the state of New York in an effort to help maintain safe poll sites throughout the state for the upcoming presidential election on Nov. 3. Equivalent to over three million hand washes, Black Button Distilling’s contribution will be distributed at polling sites across the state.
At the height of the pandemic, Black Button Distilling halted production on its award-winning craft spirits and converted their facility to address the more pressing community need of manufacturing ethanol-based hand sanitizer, with over 10,000 bottles donated to local schools, hospitals, small businesses, non-profits, grocery stores and more. “Our community needed us, and there was no question we were going to do all we could to help,” said Jason Barrett, President and Head Distiller. “Today, our entire staff is proud to enhance our commitment to community safety by working to help ensure that every New Yorker who desires to vote in-person can feel safe and confident in doing so.”
A portion of the 8,200 bottles will go directly to New York City to accommodate the state’s largest voter sector, which, for the first time ever, is turning Madison Square Garden into a polling site to accommodate social distancing for the masses. With Black Button’s donation, poll workers who give their time to ensure that the most fundamental of American rights is protected will have a safer environment. Additionally, those attending polls to exercise their right to vote in-person will have access to safety precautions that have become a daily necessity in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are uniquely qualified to safely handle and bottle ethanol-based hand sanitizer, and we have an extensive network of contacts to bring bottles, labels, labor, and ingredients to bear,” said Barrett. “We are doing this to help our community, to hopefully save lives and to do our part in these unprecedented times.” Made according to FDA Guidelines, the hand sanitizer is packaged utilizing Black Button’s standard size 24 oz. portion control spout bottles and features 80% alcohol content.
To learn more about Black Button Distilling, visit www.blackbuttondistilling.com