Some Saskatchewan distilleries are putting together a spirited effort in combating COVID-19, as Lucky Bastard (LB) Distillers and Stumbletown Distilling have started creating alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
“If I was to write a business model for getting into the hand sanitizer business, this wouldn’t be how to do it,” said Michael Goldney of LB Distillers. “We just really want to help out.”
They’re keeping their efforts local, offering sanitizer to first responders and emergency workers for free.
Saskatchewan Blue Cross is covering all packaging costs, while couriers have offered to deliver the product and suppliers have helped with ingredients.
Stumbletown owner Craig Holland said he was inundated with phone calls over the weekend. People were asking if they could produce hand sanitizer.
“We made the decision to work together and pool our resources a bit,” Holland said.
Like their Prairie counterparts, an Oshawa, Ont. brewery is halting beer production and switching over to making hand sanitizer to help fight COVID-19.
All or Nothing Brewhouse is now producing hand sanitizer exclusively for local hospitals, front-line emergency workers and major utility companies “to ensure they have the tools they need to help flatten the curve.”
All or Nothing says local businesses helped re-install the company’s commercial distillery equipment including Woodham’s Combustion, Durham Labels, LIT Electrical, Chemstation, Brew Culture, Oshawa PUC and the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce.
(with files from Global News / Oshawa This Week)
