Rogue Spirits (Newport, Oregon) has officially announced that it has begun production of Helping Hand Hand Sanitizer to provide local emergency response and public safety officials with much needed hand sanitizer during the public health crisis caused by coronavirus (COVID-19).

Produced to “keep those servicing the community safe and healthy so that they can protect the rest of the country” during the COVID-19 pandemic, Rogue’s Helping Hand Hand Sanitizer is made with “80% ethanol, glycerin, hydrogen peroxide and distilled water.” This initiative at Rogue Spirits was made possible due to “the Food and Drug Administration [changing] their guidelines on March 18 to give distilleries permission to start making hand sanitizer for distribution as long as they were abiding by the formula outlined by the World Health Organization.”  At this time, Rogue has already donated its Helping Hand Hand Sanitizer – packaged in 375ml, 4 oz. and 16 oz. bottles – to “fire departments from Newport, Toledo, Waldport, Yachats, Depoe Bay, and Lincoln City, police services, county offices, local ambulance services and Life Flight.”

“There’s a massive shortage of so many life-saving supplies right now and we wanted to do something to help,” adds Brian Pribyl, Head Distiller of Rogue Ales & Spirits. “As a distillery, we make alcohol every day, so a hand sanitizer was an obvious way to help. It’s been amazing to watch the entire distilling community come together during this crisis. We can’t make gowns, gloves or medical equipment but we can keep a steady supply of alcohol flowing. If we can supply a hand sanitizer to the front-line of this pandemic, even if that means one less thing they have to worry about sourcing, we’re calling that a win.”

 

“What’s really great about our hand sanitizer initiative is that it came about as an employee passion project and their dream became a reality thanks to a collaborative team effort,” adds Jack Waibel, Vice President of Production at Rogue Ales & Spirits. “Since day one we have been dedicated to giving back to our community and are so honored to be able to step up and help in this time of need.”

Rogue’s Helping Hand Hand Sanitizer is currently available to first responders in Oregon’s Lincoln County and the distillery is “working to make it available throughout the nation to businesses and consumers to help reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus.” Prost!