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Some Connecticut distilleries have traded spirits for hand sanitizer as they do their best to help stop the spread of novel coronavirus.
SoNo 1420, which has locations throughout Fairfield County, and the Litchfield Distillery have become the latest to use their facilities to produce and distribute hand sanitizer amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
According to SoNo, “our gins and vodkas are distilled from 100 percent gluten-free corn to create a 95 percent pure ethanol base,” the owners said. “We are now using this base to make a hand sanitizer using a formulation recommended by the (World Health Organization). With a final concentration of 80 percent ethanol, it is more than 99.99 percent effective in killing illness-causing microbes.
“We'll continue to make our WHO-formulated sanitizer for as long as necessary. If you run out, save your bottles for free refills. And if you prefer curbside service, simply flash your lights and we'll be happy to bring them to your car. Stay safe and be well.”
The complimentary homemade hand sanitizing products have been mass-produced, though the local distilleries are finding themselves short on bottles to house the product.
“We didn't plan on providing our WHO and FDA approved hand sanitizer, and while we still have plenty of sanitizer, we have stocked out of bottles to put it in,” SoNo posted on social media. “Thanks for your patience but we'll be back in operation as quickly as possible! In the meantime please stay safe.”
At the Litchfield Distillery, employees have been distributing hand sanitizer daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at its Connecticut locations. It has also handed out the sanitizing spray to healthcare workers, shelters and soup kitchens.
“Over the weekend, we saw an increasing number of people who drove from many parts of the state. Keep in mind, many of our fellow distillery friends in the region are also producing hand sanitizer.”
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