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News you can use
Head Distiller Neil Crawford pours sugar into warm water inside a distiller to start making the next batch of hand sanitizer Friday at Crawford Distillery in Havre. The hand sanitizer takes three to four days to complete.
Crawford Distillery's current stock of hand sanitizer sits out on a table Friday inside the distillery in Havre. Owner Neil Crawford has said that he has had plenty of seniors come in to grab bottles as well as representatives of the fire department.
Crawford Distillery on 2nd Street in Havre has joined many distilleries around the U.S. that have moved their operations to creating hand sanitizer which they are giving away for free in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Neil Crawford, who owns the distillery with his wife, Alyssa, said they're in the process of bottling their second batch, which will be freely available to the public.
"The first batch went out to the elderly and first responders and health care workers," Crawford said, "... We're trying to get it to the most critical people in need first. This second batch we're going to give it out to anybody who needs it."
He said the first batch, which was about 75 bottles, eight gallons in total, was given to first responders, health care workers and local pharmacies through community members the Crawford's know around Havre. They announced the first batch's availability to them and the elderly through their Facebook page April 2.
Crawford said while the second batch will be available to the public, they will still be holding some back for the at-risk population.
"We're holding some back for people in need," he said, "We get a lot of average Joes who come in and want some, but if you have a health condition or you're elderly you know, we've been holding some back for them."
Crawford said this hand sanitizer is free and will stay that way for at least couple of months. Though he said if the operation becomes financially unsustainable, they will begin charging, but there are no immediate plans for that eventuality.
"We're just playing it by ear, we're going to keep it free as long as possible," he said.
He said the distillery has all the necessary equipment to make the hand sanitizer and hasn't needed to make any further investments to produce it.
Crawford said the process requires an alcohol of 180 proof - 90 percent purity - which they obtain by distilling alcoholic beverages like beer in a similar manner to distilling vodka, then mix the results with glycerol and hydrogen peroxide.
"We're limited to the World Health Organization recipe ... that's the only recipe we distilleries are authorized to make," Crawford said.
He said the distillery has been receiving support in the endeavor from the beginning, with Walmart providing the bottles necessary to complete their first batch, and the state coordinating to help them get more of the materials necessary for creating more hand sanitizer.
"Walmart stepped up big time with that, we've got to give a big shout out to Old Station Brewing, they brought us several hundred gallons of beer that we've distilled out and turned into sanitizer," Crawford said.
He added that Old Station Brewing Co. had also lent them two large fermenting machines which have helped them as well.
"It's been a community effort and we appreciate the support," Crawford said.
He said the demand for the hand sanitizer has been steady, and the reception from the community has been positive.
"Hopefully it helps people out," he said.
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