Congressman Neguse Recognizes Innovative Community Initiative to Help Local Distillery Produce Hand Sanitizer
Neguse requests clarified guidance from FDA so other distilleries can replicate
Washington D.C.—Congressman Joe Neguse is encouraging distilleries across the U.S. to follow the example of Spirit Hound Distillers in Lyons, Colorado who are using their resources to create hand sanitizer for community members. Spirit Hound Distillers worked with a local veterinary surgeon who provided peroxide and glycerin and a local skin care company who provided 4oz bottles to package the hand sanitizer made at the distillery. Spirit Hound Distillers produced 48 gallons of hand sanitizer on Tuesday using a recipe from the World Health Organization and donated it all nearly immediately.
“It has been incredibly inspiring to see our communities come together with innovative initiatives during this public health crisis,” said Congressman Joe Neguse. “I am grateful to Spirit Hound Distillers for utilizing the resources they have to produce hand sanitizer and aid in the health and safety of the Lyons community. We are working with the FDA to clarify guidance issued to pharmacies to ensure that distilleries across the country can utilize their resources to produce hand sanitizer in this same fashion, and to help equip other communities to follow the lead of Lyons, Colorado.”
Read Congressman Neguse’s letter to the FDA here.
“Thank you to Spirit Hound Distillers for stepping up to help our community in this time of need,” said Lyons Mayor Connie Sullivan. “The creativity and generosity of their staff is representative of actions I am seeing across our entire community and region. Lyons has seen more than its share of challenges and I have confidence in the strength and resiliency of our citizens to get through this.”
“This is a chance for us to help our community in a very real, and impactful manner,” said Craig Englehorn, Head Distiller at Spirit Hound Distillers. “We as a Distillery are uniquely poised to deliver a product that is in great need, and because of our expertise, to do it in a safe and effective manner. We have supplied at least 4 fire protection districts, and the needs of nurses and groups doing home health care - it's the front line of defense, those are the people we want to get this hand sanitizer to.”
The recipe for the World Health Organization approved hand sanitizer can be found here. If other cities want to model this process, they should reference FDA and TTB standards to produce and sell in compliance with federal law. See more guidance from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States here.