Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made disinfectant products difficult to find, spirit-makers are now making and distributing top shelf hand sanitizer.
Local innovators include School of Business alumnus Fadi Rabie ’18 (Finance; Marketing) and the rest of the team at Tuthilltown Spirits, who have shifted their operation to focus on producing disinfectant for local health and safety organizations.
“The collaborative efforts of our team have been truly remarkable as they support the frontline battle against COVID-19,” said Rabie. “In a matter of weeks, we have been able to shift our standard whiskey production to focus on making sanitizer in compliance with the World Health Organization and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) available to businesses and families through our online store at cost, for no profit.”
William Grant & Sons, the parent company of Hudson Whiskey and the owners of Tuthilltown Distillery, is selling hand sanitizer by the case online. Orders will be fulfilled on a first-come, first-serve basis while supplies last.
The Distillery has implemented extensive health and safety and the relevant social distancing measures on site, as advised by local governments, and is meeting all FDA standards. The sanitizer is not a gel and is appropriately denatured – containing 80% alcohol by volume.
For 220 years Tuthilltown Gristmill, a landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places, used waterpower to render local grains to flour. In 2003, Ralph Erenzo and Brian Lee created Tuthilltown Spirits, converting one of the mill granaries to a micro-distillery.
Today, Tuthilltown Spirits distills vodka from apples grown at Hudson Valley orchards and using grain harvested by farmers less than 10 miles away.
“We’re still using local corn to create the hand sanitizer,” said Rabie. “This is just one part of the rapid innovation at Tuthilltown and the craft distilling movement. As we navigate through this unprecedented time, we hope everyone and their loved ones continued safety and good health.”
