The run on toilet paper and wet wipes has nothing on seriously hard alcohol -- 'cause people fearing a full coronavirus outbreak are snatching up booze to cook up their own sanitizer.
Everclear, the potent 190-proof grain alcohol college kiddos traditionally use for Jell-O shots, is in crazy demand now that enterprising DIYers know it's one of few alcohols potent enough to kill nasty bugs like COVID-19.
The craze for the specialty booze is coast-to-coast. The good folks at Seattle's Downtown Spirits tell us they're fresh outta Everclear. A clerk says customers aren't hiding their intentions -- "They're buying it for the sanitizer." The price tag's a mere $20, but he told us it wasn't a commodity until this week.
We're told they sold 40 bottles in 2 days -- more than twice what they normally sell.
Ditto for Broadway Spirits in Manhattan's posh TriBeCa 'hood where they've had customers calling in to make sure Everclear's still in stock. A clerk there told us it's about to go on backorder.
As you know, brand-name germ killers like gels and wet wipes are vanishing from stores -- and the homemade craze started when the World Health Organization released a few recipes to help out newbie chefs.
They suggest folks pull isopropyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide and glycerin (if you have it) from cupboards and start whisking to attempt a homemade Purell, if you will. Everclear would come in handy if you're short on isopropyl A.
The Center for Disease Control prefers washing hands. But if soap and water aren’t “readily available” the agency suggests using a hand sanitizer containing “60% alcohol.” Grain alcohol to the rescue!!!
Buyers should carefully read the label because some spirits don’t pack enough punch. Tito’s Handmade Vodka admitted on social media it "does not meet the current recommendation of the CDC."
Translation: we'll get ya drunk, but killing viruses ain't our game.