I live in a small town in the midwest, population 7,000. But I'm very proud of how our town has stepped up and did our part with coping with the Coronavirus and its challenges. For instance, our county has only one confirmed case of the virus so far but our local hospital that serves the entire county has already erected a temporary area for critical care virus patients. Getting ahead of the curve, knowing that where there is one case, more will follow.
But I'm especially proud of our local restaurant/distillery who have switched from making whiskey to making hand sanitizer and donating it to our local health care workers and first responders.
On a normal day owners Carol and Rick Radliff would be distilling bourbon, rye, corn and 5-grain whiskey products.
The first step was getting approval to make the sanitizer from the state of Illinois and U.S. Department of Treasury Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. The recipe was made available to them from the World Health Organization as members of the Craft Distiller's Association and American Craft Spirits Association. The sanitizer has to comply with the WHO standards.
The biggest ingredient is ethyl alcohol, which they were already using to make their spirits. Then hydrogen peroxide and glycerine are added. Radliff says the hydrogen peroxide is already getting harder to obtain as more and more people are turning to making their own sanitizers.
The sanitizer is donated to the Fayette County first responders but the Radliffs are welcoming donations to cover the Federal and Illinois excise taxes. While there are organizations lobbying to eliminate this tax during the crisis, it hasn't happened yet. Since there is alcohol in the product they still have to pay the tax.
It's no quick and simple task to make the sanitizer. They have to mash it then allow it to ferment for a few days. After that, it runs through the still, which makes it about a five-day process.
This is just one example of the American people stepping up and doing something for the benefit of their fellow citizens.
And all the front line health care workers and first responders cannot be praised enough for their sacrifices during this time. We all know someone who is in this category, too bad we can't give them a big hug for their efforts. I'm saving mine up though and intend to pass them out when this is all over!
