Brits have yet another reason to love gin after makers up and down the country announced they were switching production from alcohol to hand sanitiser gel.
With cases of coronavirus rising daily and shops running low on essential supplies of things such as hand sanitiser gel, the news will be music to the ears of many Brits.
It comes after companies were urged to follow France’s lead after high-end perfume houses started using their factories to produce free hand sanitiser for hospitals.
Gin distilleries from Dundee in Scotland down to London have switched production to create hand gel for the vulnerable.
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Earlier this week, Lincoln Gin announced it had decided to “put our talents and resources to good use” and make hand sanitiser instead of gin.
I do not want a penny from this. I’m here to help and do the right thing.
“We are trying to use the resources we have – namely high-strength alcohol – to put together a functional hand sanitiser,” owner Matt Felgate told the BBC.
He added: “I do not want a penny from this. I’m here to help and do the right thing.”
Bristol-based distillery Psychopomp revealed it was giving members of the public a free 100ml hand gel in return for a donation to Bristol Children’s Hospital charity, The Grand Appeal.
A rep said they have been “overwhelmed” by demand for the product, which is made with ethanol, gin botanicals and aloe vera.
Scottish distillery Verdant Spirits hopes to get 400 litres of the stuff out to hospitals in the local area starting this week.
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London-based gin maker 58 Gin also made a limited-edition hand “Gin’itizer” for charity.
However, some have set up GoFundMe pages in a bid to get the public to help.
One distillery explained that it costs around £25 on duty for every litre of sanitiser they produce, so the public are also being called upon to do their bit to help the greater good.
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At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, ED! told you how to make your own hand sanitiser.
It is key to use alcohol that has an alcohol content above 60% – this means using a product like surgical spirit or rubbing alcohol that you can get from a chemist.
Simply fill a plastic bottle two thirds full with alcohol, top up the rest with aloe vera gel and add 10-15 drops of essential oil to mask the smell of the alcohol.
Of course, no amount of hand sanitiser beats washing hands with soap and water for a full 20 seconds.
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