After realising the shortage of hand sanitiser thanks to the ongoing spread of coronavirus, Mike Bain and his team at Deeside Distillery in Banchory decided to help out, and urged others to do the same.
Now Beinn an Tuirc Distillers, who make Kintyre Gin have followed suit and created a sanitister called Hogg Wash.
Posting on their social media, the team at Kintyre said: "If life gives you lemons (or vats of 97% alcohol) make hand sanitiser. We're making a batch which we'll donate to local organisations in need in Kintyre. There was only one option for a name!"
If life gives you lemons (or vats of 97% alcohol) make hand sanitiser.
We're making a batch which we'll donate to local organisations in need in Kintyre.
There was only one option for a name! https://t.co/HPlNrcLyOm pic.twitter.com/dOYBO7YbD1— Beinn an Tuirc Distillers Ltd (@kintyredistil) March 16, 2020
Very strong alcohol, such as gin, will form the base of a hand sanitiser, and it's then added to soothing or moisturising products such as aloe vera.
Both Deeside Distillery and Kintyre distilled gin at an ABV of over 80 per cent to make the alcohol base, and are donating their sanitiser to local organisations such as schools, foodbanks and GPs that may have run out and can no longer get anymore due to panic buying over coronavirus.
Mike said: “We made the world’s strongest gin at 87% abv to be a solid base for hand sanitiser. Worryingly, it took us nearly a week just to source the ingredients we needed for creating it.
“We managed to get 4,000 50ml dispenser bottles for the sanitiser – the last lot from the company which has demand from all over the world – and 200 litres of aloe vera from a company that supplies the equine industry."
Scran episode 10: The community spirit behind Scotland's favourite gin - with Iona Cairns
