Less than a month after launching its hand sanitizer operation to support and protect the community’s brave healthcare professionals and first responders during the COVID-19 crisis, Caledonia Spirits has expanded its production efforts so significantly that it can now offer the product to the general public.
Now available at barrhill.com/cleanhands for ordering, Barr Hill Hand Sanitizer is being produced on Gin
Lane in Montpelier by Caledonia Spirits’ dedicated distillery team. The general public can order the not-for-profit hand sanitizer for pickup at the distillery in a variety of quantities, ranging from six 4-ounce bottles all the way up to a 55-gallon drum. Caledonia Spirits is also making one order size — 24 x 4-ounce bottles – available for direct shipment to the customer. All orders will take approximately 2-3 weeks to process.
“As a distillery, we’re in a unique position that allows us to make a product that can truly help fight the spread of this disease,” said Caledonia Spirits President and Head Distiller Ryan Christiansen. “Once our team realized just how positive of an impact we could have on our community and our state, we committed ourselves to doing everything we could to assist. From healthcare workers to first responders and beyond, we’re so grateful for these heroes in our community, so it was an easy decision to step in and do our part to help protect them.”
The production of Barr Hill Hand Sanitizer started in early March as a community initiative to help local nonprofit organizations, like the Vermont Foodbank, protect themselves against the spread of COVID-19.
Now, thanks to an outpouring of support from the community, as well as through partnerships with government officials, healthcare systems, and even breweries, Caledonia Spirits is marching towards a production volume of 20,000 gallons by the end of April.
Just last week, Caledonia Spirits produced and delivered 1,650 gallons of Barr Hill Hand Sanitizer to the University of Vermont Health Network, which then distributed it to a group of hospitals and medical centers in Vermont and northern New York. Additionally, through a donation option on barrhill.com/cleanhands, the community has already purchased over 9,000 ounces (and counting) of hand sanitizer for the state’s healthcare professionals.
Known for its three flagship spirits — Barr Hill Gin, Tom Cat Gin, and Barr Hill Vodka — Caledonia Spirits opened up a brand-new, 27,000-square-foot distillery in Montpelier last summer. Its on-site cocktail bar — now temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 crisis — has become a popular gathering place for the community. The hand sanitizer operation has allowed the distillery to continue paying its staff full compensation and benefits throughout this uncertain time.
To learn more about Barr Hill Hand Sanitizer, please visit barrhill.com/cleanhands, where all purchase and donation options are available, along with a full FAQ about the project. To place a large wholesale order or to send along questions or comments, please email cleanhands@caledoniaspirits.com.
ABOUT BARR HILL & CALEDONIA SPIRITS:
Barr Hill® is an award-winning, super-premium spirits brand, made by the Vermont-based distillery, Caledonia Spirits®. The distillery proudly operates under its Landcrafted® philosophy, skillfully and mindfully crafting its spirits from high quality raw materials. Barr Hill currently produces three spirits — Barr Hill Gin, Tom Cat Gin, and Barr Hill Vodka — and distributes to 32 states, along with Puerto Rico, Canada (Quebec), Denmark, Hong Kong, and Japan. For more information on Barr Hill, please visit www.barrhill.com or follow the distillery on social media: Instagram (@barrhillgin), Facebook (@CaledoniaSpirits), and Twitter (@CaledoniaSpirit).
