The coronavirus pandemic has left craft booze makers in Yonkers with a horrible hangover.

The Yonkers Brewing Company with its key source of revenue strained as sales dried up at it 92 Main Street location has had it rough as its contracted wholesale Connecticut beer canning business has suffered severly during the pandemic.

Yonkers City Councilman and Brewer John Rubbo has had to furlough almost all of his staff — because he can’t afford to sustain such heavy losses.

Sadly, the new outdoor dining option has not provided enough relief to offset the heavy losses at the Yonkers Brewery.

But, John Rubbo is not the only Yonkers craft alcohol maker facing these extreme challenges.

Nahmias et Fils distilled and distributed alcohol spirits from its distillery located at 201 Saw Mill River Road since opening in 2012, but has suffered from restrictions to their on-site tasting rooms.

They were selling whiskey, under a “Legs Diamond” brand, named after the famous bootlegger who spent some time in Yonkers,  and Mahia, an adult beverage that comes from Morocco and the Jewish community, made of dates and figs and other secret spices.

David Nahmias, had established a following of sorts and were getting the majority of their business from their tasting room.

Earlier this year the Yonkers distillery tried to shift from making alcohol-based spirits to alcohol-based hand sanitizer, but its aid David and Dorit Nahmias had mixed results selling to local businesses.

Former City Council President Chuck Lesnick was instrumental in getting a the Nahmias family funds, as part of a of a federal opportunity zone program.

Also, Simple Motive Brewing had been scheduled to open just before the pandemic hit Yonkers.

The new microbrewery, complete with a tasting room, was going to open in the burned out Lake Street building next to Yoho Artists building on Neperhan Avenue.

This brewery was going to feature an event space next to the brewing tanks for company gatherings, larger parties and other events.

It is part of a mixed use development called The Mill, located in the historic Alexander Smith Carpet Mills factory – but even this development has been delayed by the healthcare crises in Yonkers.

The space is being developed by Momentum Realty Acquisitions and was also going to feature food hall, ax throwing, an escape room, co-working and other destination tenants.

Small distillers, like the Yonkers Brewing Company, also sell their products to bars, restaurants and retail stores and insiders say John Rubbo’s wholesale business is down by double digits.

Craft distillers are a special community in Yonkers, who entered this industry with a passion for spirits and a dream to build a craft distillery that will add to the cultural life of the city of hills.

These dreams should not be shattered, along with the loss of jobs, if the City of Yonkers or the Yonkers Industrial Development Agency can prevent it.