That’s handy! Gin distillers step into breach to make vital hand sanitiser
Scottish industry rallies round to help local community GPS and care homes in desperate need, finds Sean Murphy
More and more Scottish craft gin producers are turning to making hand gel in a bid to support their local care firms, food banks, charities and front line services.
Due to the fact that alcohol at over 65 per cent strength is effective at killing enveloped viruses – including the coronavirus – the country’s distillers have found they are well placed to create World Health Organisation (WHO) approved sanitiser recipes. With stocks of isopropyl alcohol in short supply in Europe, and prices for the ingredient which is vital for sanitiser gels and alcohol wipes rising, many found they had to step in.
Last week Mike Bain of Deeside Distillery in Banchory started the process of making ad hoc sanitiser after discovering how drastically low its availability was for GPS and care homes in his area. Now, Niall Macalister Hall, founder of Beinn An Tuirc Distillers and producer of Kintyre Gin has followed suit to create Hogg wash, a hand sanitiser for local organisations in need in Kintyre.
The entrepreneur said: “With the general economic downturn and the general apparent lack of hand sanitiser being reported generally, we felt both well placed and willing to help wherever possible.if we all stick together then hopefully we can get through the next few months with as little impact as possible.”
Niall stated that it was important for local businesses to step up and help out where they could. And they aren’t the only ones. Martin Murray of Dunnet Bay Distillers in Thurso, which is also making sanitiser and has donated to local organisations, said: “I can’t stand by and know we have the means and the capability to support our local care homes, medical practices and surgeries. Our brand was built with local support.”
So far, producers up and down the country such as Isle of Skye Distillers, Stirling Gin, Badachro Distillery in Gairloch, Red Castle Gin in Arbroath, Glasgow Distilling Company, Verdant Distillers in Dundee and both Edinburgh and Leith Gin in the capital, have announced plans to make, or are in the midst of making, some form of sanitiser for those in need.
Other gin makers such as Deerness Distillery and Kirkjuvagr Gin on Orkney, and Sutors Gin in Tain have also stated their intentions to do the same. On Colonsay, it’s become a community project with distiller Chris Nisbet, who is also chief firefighter on the island, teaming up with Alison Craib who makes cosmetic products using island botanicals to create some hand sanitiser for the fire station to use. Due to popular demand, he’s started making it for anyone on the island who needs it.
Cairngorm Gin is another company that has been making as much as they can to supply local care homes and those caring for the vulnerable, with the team saying they have been overwhelmed by the response.
Co-founder of Loch Ness Gin, Lorien Cameron-ross, who is also a GP and clinical director for out of hours at NHS Highland, said that she has been making sanitiser for healthcare colleagues and patients, and intends to make some priced-atcost for others who may need it.
One sticking point at the moment is that any producer still theoretically has to pay duty on any gin or spirit-based product they make.
Niall added that this means they have to charge cost in certain circumstances with companies that can afford to pay, while trying to work out ways to donate to those that can’t.
He said: “It’s fine to create in small batches but it still costs a significant amount, with ingredients around £30 per litre, mainly due to the duty involved. If we need to significantly increase production to help out those in need then HMRC need to introduce concessions.”