It’s no question that the craft cocktail movement has certainly had an influence on the at-home bar. Consumers enjoying creative and handcrafted cocktails, or tasting new spirits out at restaurants, have a renewed appreciation for proper techniques and ingredients. However, as consumers become more confident, so has their desire to refine their own bartending skills. Such aspirations have led to an increased demand in elevated wine and bar accessories for the home.

Ice, too, has become a focal point, as consumers expand their cocktail making knowledge. Larger, clear cubes of ice are sought out more often for consumers who wish to slowly sip on spirits such as whiskey and bourbon, savoring the flavors and aromas of the brands they have invested in.

​Peter Hardy, owner of Michigan Clear Ice, has turned off the ice-making equipment and fired up the CNC machines he had around the shop. He's now manufacturing protective face shields.

"I have a background in machining and had received a shipment of plastic for a different project I was working on," Hardy says.

"I was able to come up with a design that the hospitals wanted. It was a pretty easy decision to make."

In a post to the company’s Facebook page, Hardy solicited local suppliers of .020” PETG sheet. The post has since been shared more than 2,000 times.

Customers responded, connecting Hardy with a supplier that had enough plastic to keep him busy for at least the next two to three weeks.

Hardy estimates that the has enough material to make 5,000 face masks.