NOW OFFERING HAND SANITIZER–Stumpy’s Spirits in Columbia recently switched their production over to making hand sanitizer. Pictured is their team for the project: Andrew Stumpf, Christian Powell, Laura Stumpf and Adam Stumpf.
Many in the area may already be familiar with Stumpy’s Spirits’ selection of whiskey, vodka and gin, all “family grown and distilled, from grain to glass,” but now the distillery based in Columbia has switched gears and has a new offering – hand sanitizer.
Owner Adam Stumpf talked with the North County Newsrecently about the decision to make sanitizer and the process.
He noted that even before the shelter in place order took effect in Illinois, he and his wife Laura noticed a need. At local stores, the shelves where one normally could find hand sanitizer were empty. Then, some area medical companies and businesses started to reach out to them, asking if they would make sanitizer.
The ingredients for sanitizer are ethanol alcohol, glycerol and hydrogen peroxide. Adam noted that on a day-to-day basis, the distillery makes ethanol (a grain alcohol) for their normal products, which could then be processed a little further to meet the required higher alcohol proof required for sanitizer.
Once the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made an announcement that they were allowing distilleries the ability to switch production from drinking alcohol to hand sanitizer, the Stumpfs were ready to go.
For more on this story, please see this week’s print edition.