Good coronavirus initiative: Irish whiskey is turned into disinfectant hand gel
The distilleries of Jameson Irish Whiskey and Absolut Vodka are running at full capacity. Is so much drinking going on during the coronavirus crisis? No, they’re making disinfectant hand gel. InBev, brewer of Jupiler and Hoegaarden, among others, is also making disinfectant.
Pernod Ricard produces wine and spirits, but they are converting their distilleries in the United States so that disinfectant hand gel can be made. Not quite the same as the whiskey and Malibu that normally rolls off the production line here, but because there is a major shortage of hand gel looming in the United States, Pernod Ricard stepped in to help. ‘Naturally, the health and safety of our employees comes first,’ says CEO Ann Mukherjee. ‘But at this time, as a company, we must also take our social responsibility.’
50,000 litres of alcohol
The ABInBev brewery was originally a Belgian company, but it has since become the largest brewery in the world. Hospitality director Mark Hanssen announced on LinkedIn that they are also making disinfectants. ‘We converted excess alcohol from our alcohol-free beers, including Jupiler 0.0%, into 50,000 litres of ready-to-use disinfectant to donate to hospitals throughout Europe.’ Dutch hospitals are receiving 5-litre bottles of disinfectant, and the company also has 26,000 bottles of disinfectant hand gel available. Bonus: they also want to use billboard advertising space the company had purchased to display public health news.
Wash your hands with beer
So are healthcare workers washing their hands with beer? No, it’s 90% alcohol, which no longer smells like whiskey or beer and can be used very effectively in hospitals to wash hands and disinfect equipment. Mark Hanssen does promise healthcare workers something tasty: a selection of alcohol-free beers, because they are working so hard. Good job!
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