Sunderland Echo

Distillery shows its spirit making alcohol gels during the pandemic

- By Katy Wheeler Katy.Wheeler@jpimedia.co.uk @KatyJourno

Staff at a successful Sunderland distillery are turning their hand to making alcohol gels to help limit the spread of Covid-19.

Poetic License, based at the Roker Hotel, is more well known for its awardwinni­ng gin.

But owner Nicola Foster-Hird came up with the idea of using the high-alcohol content spirit it produces to make handrub formulatio­ns, which are highly sought-after during the pandemic.

The distillery has followed the World Health Organisati­on-recommende­d handrub formulatio­n, and will be producing 2000 100ml bottles, with a number donated to local causes in Sunderland and the surroundin­g area.

Operations director Jonathan Graham said: “We already have the high-content alcohol and you only need three other ingredient­s to make the WHO-recommende­d gels.

“Our aim is to help hospitals and key workers. We are certainly not profiteeri­ng from this, we will just cover costs.

“We’ll be making 2,000 at first, but if the need is there we’ll do more.”

The news comes as the Sunderland Echo is running our #SupportLoc­al campaign, aimed at promoting the amazing things local businesses are doing at this difficult time.

While the Roker Hotel has had to close its doors in line with Government restrictio­ns to limit the spread of Covid-19, the distillery has still been able to operate as normal with added safety measures and limited staff in place to meet its orders for supermarke­ts.

The distillery, which the hotel’s bar is named after, produces around 50,000 bottles of gin a year, in a range of flavours.

It has proved to be one of the city’s most successful exports and is sold in major supermarke­ts around the country, as well as in highend retailers such as Harvey Nichols.

As well as the hand gels being donated, there will be a limited number of bottles available on the distillery’s online shop.

These will be dispatched free with every 70cl bottle of gin or vodka purchased.

Alternativ­ely, Poetic Licence have bottles for £3 each (max four per customer), available only for local collection.

Please ensure you choose local pickup if ordering this option at www.poeticlice­nsedistill­ery.co.uk.

They also have the option of a four pack of handrub available for delivery, priced at £12 (+£6.95 shipping, max one per customer).

For inquiries visit: chinchin@poeticlice­nsedistill­ery.co.uk.

This comes after the Echo also reported how WL Distillery made more than 100 50-millilitre bottles of sanitiser, with owner Scott Wilson-Laing, from Sunderland, saying it was the firm’s way of “helping the community in these difficult times”.

Do you know of any of our local businesses going above and beyond to help support their communitie­s as we all face restrictio­ns on our lives due to the coronaviru­s outbreak?

If you do, then email the Sunderland Echo at echo. news@jpress.co.uk or send us a message on Facebook or Twitter. We want to hear from you.

 ??  ?? An initial 2,000 bottles have been made.
An initial 2,000 bottles have been made.

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