A Fully Sanitized Thank You

Dear Fellow Quarantiners:
                                  
So, COVID-19 is putting a bit of a wrench into a whole lot of systems right now. I think we are only just beginning to see the physical/emotional/economic fallout of this whole thing. Gloom and doom aside, I am so hopeful to see the community banding together to help each other and strangers, it is truly inspiring and beautiful. We have all been forced to make decisions over the last few weeks to try and balance our responsibilities to self and community, and let’s be honest… most everyone is just doing the best they can. Given this, I just want to take a moment an appreciate the distilling industry as a whole, that has stepped up in awesome ways, I am humbled to be part of such a great community.

Originally, Ethanology had a plan, then it changed… then it changed again… about a dozen times. Ultimately, we talked things over with staff and have chosen to close our doors at this time.  I have made the choice to isolate in a more serious manner as I have a heart condition that forces me to take this very seriously.

There have been many people asking about hand sanitizer. First off, big kudos to those in the industry who have been able to step up and fulfill this need. We have been watching the situation closely and now that it is legal for us, we are figuring out how to best contribute. Unfortunately, our small size (limited fermentation capacity) is impairing us from acting in a quick manner. As most of you know, we only produce one batch at a time and do not purchase bulk grain neutral spirits (high proof required to make hand sanitizer). Furthermore, since we have to mash, ferment, and distill vodka first, it will take at least 4-5 weeks before this can become a possibility, as our current bottled spirits are too low in alcohol to be used in the approved FDA recipe.
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At this time, we are exploring options to work with a compounding pharmacy that has the glycerin, hydrogen peroxide, and denaturing agents necessary to formulate the FDA approved recipe and allow the sanitizer to be produced in a way accessible to hospitals etc. In the meantime, to try and do something positive we have chosen to pair up with our local soap maker and give away samples at the tasting room (while we were open) and now via mail.
Stay tuned and stay safe out there, and as always thanks so much for your continued support.
 
Geri