Keep Calm and Distill On; the crucial role of distilleries in the global pandemic

As the coronavirus lockdown stretches on with no end in sight, we've seen almost every sector of the economy shut down. Though alcohol sales are booming (and why wouldn't they, given the circumstances), distilleries across Canada aren't producing new whisky these days. Instead, stills have turned toward the communal good in this total state of exception. 

Hand sanitiser is pouring out of stills everywhere. But how simple is the switch to sanitiser production? For some distilleries, it turns out, it's quite simple. 

Like you would with most spirits, you need to distill alcohol to over 65% to produce effective sanitiser. Without worrying about flavour implications, distilleries can use whatever grain or fruit base they have on hand. Fermentation should be hot and fast, designed simply to produce the most alcohol possible. That gets distilled, and mixed with moisturiser and bitter flavours to discourage drinking. 

As well as a vital part of the healthcare puzzle, sanitiser is also a great use of 'leftover' alcohol in a distillery. It turns out much of the sanitiser being made at distilleries today comes from feints that would otherwise be discarded.

The feints include heads and tails, the parts of a whisky distillation run that don't go into the final collection. These can be redistilled but there will always be flavour compounds that don't make it into the bottle. Still, there is great alcohol there, and when the taste doesn't matter, sanitiser is the perfect use for these leftovers. 

Right now, the world can't use enough sanitiser, but will the trend of recycling feints continue after the pandemic subsides? It seems likely. Column stills, which are ideal for producing high-alcohol products, run best when they are continuously being operated. So it makes sense for distillers to keep their stills running and churning out sanitiser as long as the market will take on more supply. 

Perhaps we're headed toward a time when customers can support their favourite craft distilleries by purchasing 'small batch' sanitiser. Whatever the future holds, distilleries will continue to be a part of it for pleasure and for social good.