PAW PAW, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — St. Julian Winery and Distillery has had to switch gears during the coronavirus pandemic, now making alcohol-based sanitizer to help with a nationwide shortage.
The company’s six Michigan tasting rooms in Paw Paw, Dundee, Union Pier, Troy, Rockford, and Frankenmuth are temporarily closed after Governor Whitmer issued an executive order shutting down restaurants and bars in March.
With fewer customers filling up their glasses at the locations, St. Julian has seen a large part of its commercial business presence come to a halt.
“Our direct to consumer businesses very strong, so that decision threatened the very fabric of our business plan,” said President John Braganini in a statement to MLive. He added that while consumer demand is only slightly down, the sanitizer gives the company additional opportunities to generate revenue while helping the community. Braganini told the media outlet that the company had to develop alternative business strategies to maintain revenue during the outbreak.
St. Julian’s winery facilities are now making sanitizer along with wine and other beverages. The sanitizer contains 80% ethanol alcohol with peroxide, glycerin, and water, meeting health guidelines for sanitary use.
Personal hand sanitizer has been hard to come by on store shelves for everyday consumers, but it has also been in critically short supplies for hospitals and other facilities handling vulnerable populations.
On March 19th the state government cleared Michigan distilleries to begin making the product with the goal of alleviating shortages brought on by high demand.
Braganini says that St. Julian is expecting to produce more than 10,000 gallons of sanitizer each month, and it has already donated more than 500 of the containers to area non-profits.
Large containers are being sold to retail customers and commercial distributors will also be supplied with the sanitizer. St. Julian is also helping out other distilleries looking to make the product by supplying them ingredients used to make it.
Wine and other products continue to be sold by St. Julian directly to consumers and at retail outlets.
