A local distillery has produced so much hand sanitizer in the past month that workers literally can’t give it away fast enough.

In fact, ever since 11 Wells Spirits in St. Paul shifted its focus to hand sanitizer, like many other local distilleries, the hardest part hasn’t been making the product as much as it’s been finding people to take it off their hands.

Which is why 11 Wells Spirits sales manager Nathan Aalderks is doing everything he can to get the word out.

“We have this stuff available to anyone that wants it,” said Aalderks, who has been managing the daily operations surrounding hand sanitizer production.

Logistically, 11 Wells Spirits has been using its storefront (704 E. Minnehaha Ave., St. Paul) to give away hand sanitizer free to the public from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

While the need for bottles isn’t as dire as it was initially, according to Aalderks, 11 Wells Spirits is still encouraging people to bring their own bottles to be filled as a way to reduce plastic waste. It will fill any bottle as long as it is of reasonable size for personal use.

The distillery is also fulfilling bulk donations for local police and fire departments throughout the week.

“Each day we have handed it out free to the public, we have emptied a 50-gallon drum,” Aalderks said. “I’d guess it’s probably around 450 gallons so far, in addition to the actual bulk donations.”

11 Wells has also been selling its hand sanitizer at different locations around the Twin Cities, including some MGM Wine & Spirits locations and Mississippi Market Natural Foods Co-op stores.

Typically, a 4-ounce bottle is sold for $4, a quart for $10, a half-gallon for $20 and a gallon for $40. That said, 11 Wells Spirits offers flexibility on pricing for bulk orders. People can find out more by contacting 5oclock@11wells.com.

“It’s priced a little bit higher than some of the other ones around the Twin Cities,” Aalderks said. “That kind of helps offset the donations that we’re doing completely free of charge.”

In other words, the production of hand sanitizer isn’t some cash cow designed to push 11 Wells Spirits over the top. That was never the goal.