Businesses in Garland are banding together to give back to first responders and other City of Garland staff amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Herman Marshall Whiskey, a Garland-based distillery, has stopped producing whiskey and started making hand sanitizer instead.

The distillery got the recipe for the hand sanitizer from the World Health Organization.

Several other Garland businesses contributed to the distillery's efforts. Intrinsic Smokehouse provided labor and supplies, Plastipak donated 8,000 eight ounce lemon juice bottles, and SixB Labels donated the labels.

According to the City of Garland, this is the first time businesses in a city have collaborated to give back to that same municipality in this way.

The city said the hand sanitizer will go to first responders like police and firefighters, as well as sanitation, street, and water department staff.

