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Northern Ireland Craft Distillers Join Battle Against Covid-19 Virus

Eight Northern Ireland craft distilleries – seven of them Food NI members – have temporarily switched production to develop hand sanitizers for the health services, care organisations and retailers for use against the Covid-19 coronavirus.

And Belfast Hot Sauce Company of Helen’s Bay, Co Down, which produces the Snow Patrol range of very hot sauces, has supported the inspirational initiative by donating thousands of plastic bottles.

The distilleries now producing hand sanitizers in Northern Ireland are:

Boatyard Distillery in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, a specialist in gin, vodka and whiskey and a Food NI member;

Copeland Distillery, Donaghadee, Co Down, a producer of gin and a Food NI member;

Echlinville Distillery in Kircubbin, Co Down, best known for its Dunville Irish Whiskey, Jawbox Gin and Echlinville Gin, Food NI member;

Killowen Distillery in Rostrevor, Co Down, a producer of whiskey, gin and poitin;

Mourne Dew, Warrenpoint, Co Down, a producer of gin and poitin will soon launch a sanitiser, a Food NI member;

Rademon Estate Distillery, Crossgar, Co Down, a Food NI member, producer of Shortcross Gin and Irish whiskey is also soon to launch a sanitizer;

Stillhouse Distillery, Moira, Co Down, a Food NI memberproducer of Irish potato vodka and fruit-infused liqueurs; and

Symphonia Distillery, Benburb, Co Tyrone, a distiller of gin, another Food NI member.

The craft distilleries reacted quickly to the widespread shortage of hand sanitizers for use in the fight against the deadly Covid-19 coronavirus by developing their own products, many influenced by the World Health Organisation formula which specifies the ingredients should include at least 60 per cent alcohol.

Most of the Northern Ireland craft distilleries are producing sanitizers with around 70 percent alcohol.

The sanitizers are mostly produced in one and five litre plastic containers.