VERSAILLES, Ky. ⁠— Kentuckians may know Castle and Key distillery for its classic spirits, but with the onset of coronavirus, the Woodford County distillery is also becoming known for something a little different: hand sanitizer.

"For us, really the decision to produce hand sanitizer, it was partially born out of necessity, looking for a unique way to help keep our employees engaged and part of the distillery, a unique revenue stream, but also as a way for us to help serve the common good," said Jon Netwon, sales manager for Castle and Key. 

As the need for hand sanitizer spikes, Castle and Key has produced roughly 180,000 bottles of FDA-compliant hand sanitizer, roughly 18,000 of those being donated. 

"So, for every single bottle of hand sanitizer sold, we are donating another bottle back to the community, back to maybe a bar or restaurant that's trying to get their doors open for the first time, or back to a first responder who has not been able to acquire hand sanitizer on their own, or a charity that is just in need to be able to reopen their doors and keep offering very vital services," said Newton. 

The distillery also hopes to offer a new customer experience once it reopens to the public. 

"We want to make sure that when we're able to return to business as normal, that we're able to offer the same incredible premium experience, but do it in a way that we're protecting everyone who can come to site," said Newton.