Creative ways to get hard-to-find supplies like hand sanitizer, toilet paper, and face masks

Picking up toilet paper, hand sanitizer, or face masks is no easy task these days: Panicked shoppers have cleared out shelves at many stores, and some big retailers are starting to limit purchases of in-demand items as the stores get them in stock.

So consumers, producers, and retailers around the country are finding creative ways to fill the gaps.

High-end fashion houses and home crafters have started making face masks, hundreds of distilleries have shifted their production to hand sanitizer, and some restaurants — which have largely become takeout/delivery-only businesses — have started adding toilet paper as a free gift with orders.

Here are a few unexpected ways to get these key supplies.

While toilet paper has become scarce at supermarkets, bar and restaurant owners tell Grow that their distributors have remained largely well-stocked. Many restaurants — which have temporarily converted into takeout/delivery only operations — have taken advantage by including free rolls with orders.

"I just happened to ask my food distributor Maines if they had any in stock, and they did! So I was easily able to get more," says Alina Kim, owner of K-House Karaoke Lounge & Suites in Ithaca, New York. "Since Maines only delivers wholesale to commercial accounts that are mostly shut down restaurants and bars, they had plenty in stock."

Pearl's Social & Billy Club in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn recently started adding rolls of toilet paper to orders of its prebottled margaritas and other cocktails as a free bonus.

"It went viral right after we started doing it," says co-owner Betsy Maher. "It just kind of took off and we got an insane amount of orders from, like, all over the country."

But because Pearl's Social & Billy Club is only able to deliver in Brooklyn, Maher says sales are "flat," even with the bump in notoriety. All of the bar's revenue is going to the staffers or their bills, while Maher and her partner are forgoing their own salaries for the time being. Still, she and her business partner are cautiously optimistic about the future.

Check a bar's Facebook or Instagram if you want to see if they're giving away toilet paper — if they're packaging rolls with their orders, there's a good chance the business will advertise it there.

If you're not a medical professional or sick with the coronavirus, the importance of wearing a face mask has been a matter of intense debate. Initially the Surgeon General and other health authorities told the general public not to buy face masks. Now, though, because medical experts have a better sense of just how many carriers are asymptomatic, the consensus seems to be changing: The CDC may soon advise all Americans to wear face masks whenever they're outside, according to a report from The Washington Post.

The FDA and other medical experts still do not recommend that members of the general public wear N95 respirator masks — those are in very high demand in, and primarily needed for, hospitals. It's more likely that most people will be asked to wear disposable surgical masks and reusable cloth ones, which do not form as tight a seal around your face but still provide some protection.

If you're looking for a reusable option, thousands of cloth masks are available for purchase on Etsy, and most of them sell for around $10 each. If you have the necessary craft skills and equipment, you can try to DIY a face mask: How-to videos are available on YouTube.

Numerous fashion houses and apparel-makers have also started producing cotton masks. Since cotton is not a medical-grade fabric, many designers have emphasized that their masks are "nonsurgical." That should be fine for everyday use, however. "You don't need a medical mask," said Dr. David Price, a pulmonologist at New York's Weill Cornell Medical Center, during a recent online seminar.

Distilleries, breweries, and even a few cannabis producers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico have started producing hand sanitizer.

Much of this production was made possible when the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau lifted permitting and excise tax requirements for distilleries on March 18. That provision was strengthened in the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package, which exempts all distillery-made sanitizers produced during 2020 from excise tax. So distilleries can now sell sanitizer at substantially lower prices.

Many of the distillery-produced hand sanitizers highlight that they're produced based on World Health Organization or Center for Disease Control formulations.

Several distilleries are producing disinfectants intended for cleaning surfaces and that are not safe for hands, so pay attention to the fine print. And make sure you're buying something with a formula that's strong enough to disinfect but not going to cause skin irritation.

Tito's Handmade Vodka, which urged people several weeks ago not to use its liquor because it isn't strong enough to disinfect, has started producing a sufficiently potent hand sanitizer.

"We are pooling together all of our liquid resources and initially focusing them to a few points of manufacture around the state where we will be bottling the ethanol based [World Health Organization Formula #1] hand sanitizer," says Robert Cassell, president of the Pennsylvania Distillers Guild and co-founder of New Liberty Distillery in Philadelphia. "This is a massive lift, but by pulling together as an industry we believe we can have an impact on the fight against the coronavirus and safety of everyone."

The American Craft Spirits Association estimates that 75% of craft distilleries plan to produce sanitizer during the outbreak. Some are selling to the general public or including free bottles with delivery orders of liquor, while others are producing exclusively for medical professionals and first responders.

Here's a list of every producer Grow could find in the United States, as of April 2:

Dread River Distilling Company, Birmingham
Gibson Distillery, Headland
John Emerald Distilling, Opelika

Hoarfrost Distilling, Fairbanks
Port Chilkoot, Haines
Amgala Distillery, Juneau

O.H.S.O. Brewery, Phoenix
Blue Clover Distillery, Scottsdale
Flying Leap Vineyards, Sonoita

Rock Town Distillery, Little Rock
Postmaster Spirits, Newport

Dry Diggings Distillery, El Dorado Hills
Heretic Brewing, Fairfield
Young & Yonder Spirits, Healdsburg
Napa Valley Distillery, Napa
Portuguese Bend Distilling, Long Beach
AMASS, Los Angeles
Tamar Distillery, Redwood Valley
Falcon Spirits Distillery, Richmond
CannaCraft, Santa Rosa
Kai's Virgin Vapor, Santa Rosa
Prohibition Spirits, Santa Rosa

Breckenridge Distillery, Breckenridge
Axe and the Oak Distillery, Colorado Springs
10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirits, Vail

Fifth State Distillery, Bridgeport
Full Moonshine, Canton
Hartford Flavor Company, Hartford
Litchfield Distillery, Litchfield
SoNo 1420, Norwalk
Mine Hill Distillery, Roxbury

Beach Time Distilling, Lewes
Easy Speak Spirits, Milford
Dogfish Head Brewery, Milton
Painted Stave Distillery, Smyrna

Copper Bottom Craft Distillery, Holly Hill
ChainBridge Distillery, Oakland Park
St. Augustine Distillery, St. Augustine
Fish Hawk Spirits, Ocala
James Two Brothers Distillers, Ocala

Old Fourth Distillery, Atlanta
Moonrise Distillery, Clayton
Dalton Distillery, Dalton
Dry County Brewing Co, Kennesaw

Ko'olau Distillery, Kaneohe
Hawaii Sea Spirits, Kula
Kupu Spirits, Kihei

Koenig Distillery, Caldwell
Grand Teton Distillery, Driggs

Jeppson's Malört, Chicago
KOVAL Distillery, Chicago
Letherbee Distillers, Chicago
Rhine Hall Distillery, Chicago
Stumpy's Spirits, Columbia
Whiskey Acres Distilling Co, Dekalb
Blaum Bros. Distilling Co, Galena
North Shore Distillery, Green Oaks
28 Mile Distilling, Highwood

Starlight Distillery, Borden
Cardinal Spirits, Bloomington
Vapor Bank, Evansville
Hotel Tango Distillery, Indianapolis

Mississippi River Distilling Company, Le Claire
Century Farms Distillery, Spencer
Cedar Ridge Winery and Distillery, Swisher
The Foundry, West Des Moines

Boot Hill Distillery, Dodge City

Heaven Hill, Bardstown
Jim Beam, Clermont
Wilderness Trail Distillery, Danville
Old Forester, Louisville
Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co, Lexington
Angel's Envy, Louisville
Rabbit Hole Distillery, Louisville
Silent Brigade Distillery, Paducah
Jeptha Creed, Shelbyville
Neeley Family Distillery, Sparta
Woodford Reserve, Versailles

Porchjam, New Orleans
Seven Three Distilling, New Orleans
Lula Restaurant Distillery, New Orleans
Sugarland Spirits, Gonzales

McClintock Distilling, Frederick
Sangfroid Distilling, Hyattsville
MISCellaneous Distillery, Mount Airy
Twin Valley Distillers, Rockville

Bully Boy Distillers, Boston
M.S. Walker, Boston
Silver Bear Distillery, Dalton
GrandTen Distilling, Dorchester
Short Path Distillery, Everett
Dirty Water Distillery, Plymouth
Berkshire Mountain Distillers, Sheffield

Ann Arbor Distilling Company, Ann Arbor
Griffin Claw Brewing, Birmingham
Ugly Dog Distillery, Chelsea
Detroit City Distillery, Detroit
Valentine Distilling Co, Ferndale
Grand Traverse Distillery, Traverse City
Mammoth Distilling, Traverse City
Traverse City Whiskey Co, Traverse City

Minny Grown CBD, Cannon Falls
Vikre Distillery, Duluth
Brother Justus Whiskey Company, Minneapolis
Du Nord Craft Spirits, Minneapolis
Norseman Distillery, Minneapolis
Tattersall Distilling, Minneapolis
Loon Liquor Company, Northfield
11 Wells, St. Paul
Copperwing Distillery, St. Louis Park
J. Carver Distillery, Waconia

Rich Grain Distilling Co, Canton
Lazy Magnolia Brewery, Kiln
Crittenden Distillery, Kiln

DogMaster Distillery, Columbia
J. Rieger & Co, Kansas City
4 Hands Brewing, St. Louis
StilL 630 Distillery, St. Louis
Switchgrass Spirits, St. Louis

Bozeman Spirits, Bozeman
Wildrye Distilling, Bozeman
Dry Hills Distillery, Bozeman
Montgomery Distillery, Missoula

Brickway Brewery & Distillery, Omaha

Frey Ranch Distillery, Fallon
Las Vegas Distillery, Henderson
Ferino, Reno
The Depot Craft Brewery Distillery, Reno
Seven Troughs Distilling Co, Sparks
Verdi Local Distillery, Verdi

Copper Cannon, Chesterfield
Flag Hill Distillery and Winery, Lee
Live Free Distillery, Manchester
Smoky Quartz Distillery, Seabrook
Tamworth Distilling & Mercantile, Tamworth

Broken Trail Distillery and Brewery, Albuquerque
Three Rivers Brewery, Farmington

Asbury Park Distilling, Asbury Park
Nauti Spirits, Cape May
Silk City Distillers, Clifton
Colts Neck StillHouse, Colts Neck
Claremont Distilled Spirits, Fairfield
Train Wreck Distillery, Mount Holly
Lazy Eye Distillery, Richland

Denning's Point Distillery, Beacon
Air Co, Brooklyn
Greenhook Ginsmiths, Brooklyn
Kings County Distillery, Brooklyn
New York Distilling Company, Brooklyn
St. Agrestis Spirits, Brooklyn
Buffalo Distilling Company, Buffalo
Tommyrotter Distillery, Buffalo
Finger Lakes Distilling, Burdett
Uncle Jumbo's American Vodka, Clarence Center
Hudson Valley Distillers, Clermont
Current Spirits, Elmsford
Tuthilltown Spirits, Gardiner
Cooper's Daughter Spirits, Hudson
Antler Run Distilling, Keuka Park
KAS Spirits, Mahopac
Good Shepherd Distillery, Mamaroneck
Hollerhorn Distilling, Naples
Orange County Distillery, New Hampton
Spirits Lab, Newburgh
Better Man Distilling Co, Patchogue
The Vale Fox, Poughkeepsie
Black Button Distilling, Rochester
Kodak, Rochester
Taconic Distillery, Stanfordville
Harvest Spirits, Valatie
Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery, Warwick
Yonkers Brewing, Yonkers

Durham Distillery, Durham
Graybeard Distillery, Durham
South Mountain Distilling Company, Rutherford College
Broad Branch Distillery, Winston-Salem

Proof Artisan Distillers, Fargo

Gervasi Vineyard, Canton
Karrikin Spirits, Cincinnati
Cleveland Whiskey, Cleveland
Western Reserve Distillers, Cleveland
Middle West Spirits, Columbus
Watershed Distillery, Columbus
451 Spirits, Columbus
Iron Vault Distillery, Galion
Maumee Bay Brewing Co, Toledo

Prairie Wolf Distillery, Guthrie
Red Fork Distillery, Tulsa

Crater Lake Spirits, Bend
Oregon Spirit Distillers, Bend
New Basin Distillery, Madras
New Deal Distillery, Portland
Shine Distillery & Grill, Portland

Quantum Spirits, Carnegie
Silverback Distillery, East Stroudsburg
Salem Spirits, Greensburg
Boardroom Spirits, Lansdale
Eight Oaks Farm Distillery, New Tripoli
New Liberty Distillery, Philadelphia
Lucky Sign Spirits, Pittsburgh
Maggie's Farm Rum/Allegheny Distilling, Pittsburgh
Wigle Whiskey, Pittsburgh

Destilería Serrallés, Ponce

Industrious Spirit Co, Providence
Sons of Liberty Spirits Company, South Kingstown

Nippitaty Distillery, North Charleston
Six & Twenty Distillery, Powdersville

Badlands Distillery, Kadoka

Lass & Lions, Chattanooga
Old Glory Distilling Co, Clarksville
Froggy's Fog, Columbia
Old Dominick Distillery, Memphis
Big Machine Distillery, Nashvillle
Corsair Distillery, Nashville
Junction 35 Spirits, Pigeon Forge

Crowded Barrel Whiskey Co, Austin
Still Austin Whiskey Co, Austin
Tito's Handmade Vodka, Austin
Violet Crown Spirits, Bastrop
Andalusia Whiskey Co, Blanco
Milam & Greene Whiskey, Blanco
Real Spirits Distilling Co, Blanco
Shire Distilling Co, Brookshire
Hill Country Distillers, Comfort
South Texas Distillery, Corpus Christi
Deep Ellum Distillery, Dallas
Duckworth Vodka, Dallas
Ironroot Republic, Denison
Desert Door Distillery, Driftwood
Stinson Distilling, Driftwood
Treaty Oak Distilling, Dripping Springs
Five Points Distilling (Lone Elm), Forney
Blackland Distillery, Fort Worth
Firestone & Robertson, Fort Worth
Gulf Coast Distillers, Houston
Whitmeyer's Distilling Co, Houston
Garrison Brothers Distillery, Hye
Moonshine Ridge, Johnson City
MKT Distillery, Katy
Bendt Distilling Co, Lewisville
Fire Oak Distillery, Liberty Hill
Western Son Distillery, Pilot Point
BTC Distillery, Rockport
Artisan Distillery, San Antonio
Maverick Whiskey, San Antonio
Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling, San Antonio
Rebecca Creek Distillery, San Antonio
Hye Rum, Stonewall
Balcones Distilling, Waco

Sugar House Distillery, Salt Lake City

Silverback Distillery, Afron
Vitae Spirits, Charlottesville
Falls Church Distillery, Falls Church
The Vanguard Brewpub & Distillery, Hampton
Virginia Distillery Co, Lovingston
Mt. Defiance Cidery and Distillery, Middleburg
Three Crosses Distilling Company, Powhatan
Cacotin Creek, Purcellville
Twin Creeks Distillery, Rocky Mount
Tarnished Truth Distilling Company, Virginia Beach

Smugglers' Notch Distillery, Jeffersonville
Caledonia Spirits, Montpelier
Green Mountain Distillers, Morristown
SILO Distillery, Windsor

Bainbridge Organic Distillers, Bainbridge Island
Wildwood Spirits Co, Bothell
San Juan Island Distillery, Friday Harbor
Adrift Distillers, Long Beach
Temple Distilling, Lynnwood
Glass Vodka, Seattle
Heritage Distilling, Seattle
OOLA Distillery, Seattle
Westland Distillery, Seattle
Dry Fly Distilling, Spokane
BroVo Spirits, Woodinville
Woodinville Whiskey Company, Woodinville

Compass Coffee, Shaw
Cotton & Reed, Union Market
Don Ciccio e Figli Spirits, Ivy City
One Eight Distilling, Ivy City
Republic Restoratives Distillery, Ivy City

Smooth Ambler, Maxwelton

La Crosse Distilling Co, La Crosse
Yahara Bay Distillery, Madison
Central Standard Craft Distillery, Milwaukee
45th Parallel Distillery, New Richmond
Timekeeper Distillery, Wausau

Melvin Brewing, Alpine
Backwards Distillery, Casper
Chronicles Distilling, Cheyenne
Jackson Hole Still Works, Jackson
Wyoming Whiskey, Kirby
Pine Bluffs Distilling, Pine Bluffs
Koltiska Distillery, Sheridan

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