Ventura County Sheriff’s Office receives disinfectant from Paso Robles distillery

VENTURA, Calif. - A Paso Robles distillery is helping local law enforcement agencies that are facing a shortage of cleaning and sanitary supplies.

Earlier this month, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office received a delivery of disinfectant spray and hand sanitizer from Calwise Distillery in Paso Robles.

Aaron Bergh, president and founder of Calwise Distillery Co., was born and raised in Camarillo and saw an opportunity to help out his hometown and the county.

Bergh reached out to the Camarillo Police Department and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office to see if they were interested in the new products coming out of the distillery.

Calwise Distillery, which normally produces gins and rum, began converting its operations to create sanitary sprays and hand sanitizers to help with the nationwide shortage.

Some of the ingredients used to make spirits are also required to make hand sanitizers and sprays.

Bergh and his company have been distributing the new products to first responders.

On March 25, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office received its first shipment of 15 gallons of alcohol-based disinfectant. The disinfectant was distributed to six Sheriff’s stations where it will be placed in every patrol car.

The Sheriff’s Office said it plans to place additional orders with Calwise to make sure the disinfectant is in every station and every patrol car.

Bergh and his company plan on continuing to produce the cleaning products and distributing them to first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic.