Maryland-based distillers, vintners and a compounding pharmacy have come together to make up for a shortage of hand sanitizer.
The first batch of locally made disinfectant is now being used by Montgomery County police, staff at the Department of Corrections, the county’s Health and Human Services department, the county sheriff’s office and others.
The county’s Department of General services organized the partnership.
“We are grateful to our local business community for pitching in,” said Marcus Jones, the county’s police chief.
The sanitizer is “critically important,” said Jamie Cooke, the DGS chief operating officer.
The group of businesses will keep producing the sanitizer, made from high-proof alcohol and other ingredients at the rate of 300 gallons per week. Once the police and Department of Corrections have enough, the county will offer the product to hospitals and other county departments.
“To have the county government teaming with private sector companies to provide a local solution is inspiring,” Cooke said.
Vashan Compounding Pharmacy in Gaithersburg is taking the alcohol and creating the sanitizer. The distillers and vintners providing the alcohol are: Twin Valley Distillers in Rockville, MISCellaneous Distillery in Mt. Airy, McClintock Distillery in Frederick, Lost Ark Distilling Co. in Columbia, Black Ankle Vineyards in Mt. Airy and Windridge Vineyards in Darnestown.
