Gin producer opens hand sanitizer kiosk in Finnish capital

Helsinki, Finland. Image: Toshket/Istock.com via AFP

Adjusting to the impact of the new coronavirus, a Finnish gin maker has found success with a small wooden kiosk in Helsinki, although customers aren’t queueing up for a taste of gin, but precious hand sanitizer.

The kiosk in the trendy Kallio district is the work of craft spirits maker Kyro Distillery, who decided to try and produce the much-needed disinfectant after its gin and whisky sales dropped off a cliff when bars and restaurants were shut as Finland entered coronavirus lockdown in March.

“We were in a bad situation, we’d already announced furloughs,” Kyro CEO and co-founder Miika Lipiainen told AFP.

The 35-person company, which has been running for six years, decided to turn their knowledge of producing alcohol to address the widespread hand sanitizer shortage, which hit shops and care facilities across the country. The kiosk opened last week, stocked with the first batch of 1,200 bottles.

“We figured it would last easily two weeks, it went in three days,” Lipiainen said.

The success of the project allowed Kyro to re-employ all of its furloughed staff, as well as bring in extra workers from outside. One of these is Jenna Mansikka, laid off from her job as cabin crew for the struggling airline Finnair, who on Wednesday afternoon was serving the steady stream of customers paying 6.90 euros per bottle.

“It’s cheaper than in the supermarket,” one customer told AFP.

Lipiainen said that at first Kyro was overwhelmed with demand, and began prioritizing the orders from health centers and elderly care homes.

“We’re now slowly getting on top of it all and there’s been massive interest from bigger shops and retail chains as well,” he said, adding that they are also now sending a small amount of the product to Germany.

The high demand means the company will continue making hand sanitizer for the foreseeable future, Lipiainen predicted.

“Let’s keep it going and see where it takes us, but I’m really hoping that we will get around to selling whisky as well,” he said. JB

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