FIGHTING MANO A MANO
East End’s Gulf Coast Distilleries helping out with hand sanitizer.
Gulf Coast Distillers is churning out a new liquid — hand sanitizer — in bulk quantities to help stop the spread of the novel coronavirus while keeping some 250 workers busy at the family-owned plant in Houston’s East End.
The 5-year-old distillery, which ordinarily focuses on producing Giant Texas Bourbon, BJ Hooker’s Vodka and other brands of spirits, has produced close to 1 million gallons of C4U Hand Sanitizer at its 5610 Clinton Drive facility. The 300,000-square-foot plant also houses processing operations for the family’s third-generation Aldecoa Coffee business.
“Our priority was getting our sanitizer out to the community,” said Carlos de Aldecoa, the company’s president and CEO. “We’re trying to do our part in bringing normalcy back to our lives.”
The de Aldecoa family acquired the former Uncle Ben’s rice plant on 20 acres in the East End about 25 years ago and converted it for coffee operations. It was originally built to produce instant rice for soldiers during World War II, according to de Aldecoa.
Gulf Coast Distillers has donated approximately half-amillion dollars’ worth of sanitizer to first responders, hospitals and nonprofits in 10 states. The recipients include Texas Children’s Hospital, the
Houston Zoo, Boys & Girls Country, The Rise School, Houston Police Department and Catholic Charities. The product has also been given medical clinics, transportation firms, petrochemical companies, utility districts, restaurants and other organizations.
C4U gets its name from the family. De Aldecoa is Carlos III and his son is Carlos IV.
“We call him ‘C4’ at the house,” de Aldecoa said. “C4U also means ‘Caring for You’. That was the idea behind the brand and the name.”
All three of the company’s production lines have been fully engaged in bottling sanitizer for retail sale, donation and distribution to other distillers without the capacity to produce it on a large scale on their own.
The sanitizer is available on the company’s website and in stores, including Village Liquor, H-E-B, Kroger, Aldi, Spec’s and Total Wine. C4U is also suitable for spraying on surfaces.
As supply concerns ease as more companies produce hand sanitizer, Gulf Coast Distillers recently resumed production of liquor alongside the sanitizer after being idle for eight weeks. The on-site tasting room, Ben’s Den, also closed.
Gulf Coast Distillers’ products, sold in liquor stores such as Spec’s and Total Wine, are selling well as more people drink at home rather than at bars and restaurants during the “Stay Home, Work Safe” period.
“We’re working on it. I think by next week, we should be restocked,” de Aldecoa said of rebuilding the inventory.