The Gold Coast distillerys making hand sanitiser to help community during virus outbreak

Gold Coast distillerys are using their equipment to make hand sanitiser as the in-demand product sells out everywhere. Here is where you can get your hands on some.

GOLD Coast distillerys are turning to creating hand sanitiser infused with aromas and skincare products as demand soars.

The boutique hand sanitisers are so popular it has resulted in “hundreds of calls a day” to a Miami distillery.
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Granddad Jack’s Breweries owner and head distiller Luke Ridden said he never imagined he would ever be making hand sanitiser when he opened the Miami brewery two years ago.

“If someone told me at any point in my life, even two months ago, that we would be making hand sanitiser, I would have laughed,” he said.

Luke Kidden from Granddad Jack's Breweries on the Gold Coast is selling hand sanitiser now. Photograph: Jason O'Brien

“But here we are supplying a lot to Gold Coasters who desperately need it.”

He said selling alcohol in their tasting room or supplying to bars and restaurants was no longer an option so they had to think of ways to adapt.
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“Our hand sanitiser is made using the World Health Organisation standards and consists of ethanol, hydrogen peroxide and glycerol and we also add our own touch by throwing in some peppermint and Tea Tree oil to help the skin,” he said.

Granddad Jack's Distillery hand sanitiser comes in a trendy, and handy, spray bottle.

“Since we distil the base ethanol for the hand sanitiser onsite, we can also vapour infuse the ethanol to add oils and aroma so that’s why we add in cucumber, rosehip, lemon myrtle and grapefruit peel which is the same process we use to infuse flavours into our gins.”

Also diversifying their range is the Tamborine Mountain Distillery which is making sanitiser for the first time in its 27-year history.

But with owner Gordon Chalmers background in the cosmetics and skin care industry, it was not a problem.

His business partner Dr Shumei Hou said: “This was second nature to quickly develop such a product with his aromatherapy and process background.

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“We had been asked by so many companies to either supply alcohol or to produce for them and so once the ATO gave us approval to bypass the normal regulatory procedures, we were able to produce, bottle and start selling our first batch in less than 24 hours,” she said.

“This is not the pharmacy gel type sanitiser but a hospital grade type product for using in spray bottles.

Gordon Chalmers (general manager) and Shumei Hou (managing director) in the distillery shop/bar which is now temporarily closed. Picture: Tertius Pickard

“We like to think we have produced the Rolls Royce product and probably why it has flown out the door so quickly.

So far the couple have sold more than $100,000 worth in one week.

“We have also been busy distributing large amounts of complimentary product to the most vulnerable in our community and to as many front line and essential services as possible,” she said.

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James Greig, owner of Wildflower Gin at Varsity Lakes, only opened the distillery the week Australia went into isolation and has yet to sell any gin – but has sold plenty of sanitiser.

“Hand sanitiser was definitely not something we had planned,” he said.

“We have created beautiful bottles and brand around our gins ready for a huge launch this month which we are now putting on hold.

Wildflower Gin’s hand sanitiser in a neat pouch.

“We’ve had to be creative with our packing opting for pouches for the sanitiser.

“Hand sanitiser is however at a much higher alcohol content than gin, and has a few ingredients added that make it not worth drinking. So buy the gin if you want a beverage.

“We have sold out within minutes each time a batch becomes available and we’ve been ramping up production so that we can support more and more people,” he said.

“Having an opportunity to feel like we are adding value to the community in such a complex time is fantastic, and we’ll keep working night and day to produce as much as we can.”