Some Maryland distilleries are changing their business plans, working to get more hand sanitizer to stores while simultaneously helping the community during the coronavirus pandemic.|| Late-breaking coronavirus updates ||The Patapsco Distilling Co. in Sykesville has switched from distilling alcohol to something arguably more important right now: making hand sanitizer."(I) literally was on my computer 4:30 this morning, wrapping up my last bit of orders. (We're) going to have enough to make a heck of a lot of hand sanitizer the next couple of weeks," said Scott Jendrek, owner of Patapsco Distilling Co.At a Thursday morning news conference, Gov. Larry Hogan talked about area businesses stepping up when people need them most."A number of our distillers from across the state are now, instead of producing alcohol, they're producing hundreds of bottles of hand sanitizer for the local communities," Gov. Larry Hogan said.Jendrek is putting the finishing touches on what he expects to be a huge hand sanitizer operation. After the Alcohol Beverage Control Board gave permission to those with distilling permits to make hand sanitizer using the World Health Organization's recipe, Jendrek said demand skyrocketed."I wanted to be able to make a little thing of hand sanitizer just to give away to our customers and anybody walking in that wanted some, and it just seems to have blown up into this humongous full-scale production that we're going to start jumping into," he said.Ironically, Jendrek spent 30 years as a protein chemist making of all things, vaccines. He said making hand sanitizer is no sweat."It starts with ethanol, which is what we have plenty of in the distillery, then you add glycerin, hydrogen peroxide water and you mix it up," Jendrek said.Jendrek said he will be selling some of it in Carroll and Howard counties to make up costs, and it will be given away to those who need it most."I think it's neat that just a business that we're in, we can actually help, which is, I think, the world needs it right now," Jendrek said.If everything stays on track, the owners of Patapsco Distilling told 11 News they will have hand sanitizer available sometime next week.

Some Maryland distilleries are changing their business plans, working to get more hand sanitizer to stores while simultaneously helping the community during the coronavirus pandemic.



|| Late-breaking coronavirus updates ||


The Patapsco Distilling Co. in Sykesville has switched from distilling alcohol to something arguably more important right now: making hand sanitizer.

"(I) literally was on my computer 4:30 this morning, wrapping up my last bit of orders. (We're) going to have enough to make a heck of a lot of hand sanitizer the next couple of weeks," said Scott Jendrek, owner of Patapsco Distilling Co.

At a Thursday morning news conference, Gov. Larry Hogan talked about area businesses stepping up when people need them most.

"A number of our distillers from across the state are now, instead of producing alcohol, they're producing hundreds of bottles of hand sanitizer for the local communities," Gov. Larry Hogan said.

Jendrek is putting the finishing touches on what he expects to be a huge hand sanitizer operation. After the Alcohol Beverage Control Board gave permission to those with distilling permits to make hand sanitizer using the World Health Organization's recipe, Jendrek said demand skyrocketed.

"I wanted to be able to make a little thing of hand sanitizer just to give away to our customers and anybody walking in that wanted some, and it just seems to have blown up into this humongous full-scale production that we're going to start jumping into," he said.

Ironically, Jendrek spent 30 years as a protein chemist making of all things, vaccines. He said making hand sanitizer is no sweat.

"It starts with ethanol, which is what we have plenty of in the distillery, then you add glycerin, hydrogen peroxide water and you mix it up," Jendrek said.

Jendrek said he will be selling some of it in Carroll and Howard counties to make up costs, and it will be given away to those who need it most.

"I think it's neat that just a business that we're in, we can actually help, which is, I think, the world needs it right now," Jendrek said.

If everything stays on track, the owners of Patapsco Distilling told 11 News they will have hand sanitizer available sometime next week.

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.