SCOTTSDALE, AZ — In an effort to make ends meet, business owners throughout Arizona have been finding creative ways to keep customers coming in during the pandemic.
Many breweries and distilleries have used their equipment to churn out hand sanitizer, a much-needed product right now.
Blue Clover Distillery in Scottsdale is one of them. With the bar and kitchen closed, owner Weston Holm realized he had what it took to make the in-demand product.
Using CDC and World Health Organization guidelines, Holm said he got into the business of making hand sanitizer, and that has helped him stay afloat in this tough time.
Holm estimates they've churned out 2,500 gallons of hand sanitizer so far.
"It's been the only thing that's kept us alive. If we didn't have the options and equipment, tools, and skills to make hand sanitizer, we probably would have been looking at goodbye to my life savings," said Holm.
While it's bringing in money, Holm said it was still only putting a bandaid on his financial expenses, rent in Old Town Scottsdale being the biggest one.
The distillery that is famous for its gin and flavored vodkas, which come in blood orange, grapefruit, and lemon flavors, is still selling bottles of their popular spirits to customers. But Holm says right now, the need for hand sanitizer has increased -- as businesses around him re-open, they need more of the product to keep themselves, their staff, and customers safe from coronavirus.
The company has since decided to delay its re-opening to continue serving the need in the community.
"If we were to go belly up, we're still good Samaritans, and that's what's important to me right now," said Holm.
Holm said they were selling hand sanitizer in five-gallon buckets, and he was willing to negotiate the price with struggling businesses and help them meet what they could afford to pay.
The distillery hopes to re-open their kitchen sometime in mid-June.
To buy hand sanitizer from Blue Clover distillery, you can send them a message through their Facebook, or call them at (480) 946-1062.