Vernon distillery re-purposes local brewery’s leftovers for COVID-19 sanitizer

A Vernon-based distillery has teamed up with a local brewery to re-purpose beer destined for the drain into hand sanitizer.

To date, Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery, a family-run business with locations in both Kelowna and Vernon, has already donated around 40,000 bottles of locally-produced hand sanitizer made from the distillery’s fruit and grains to frontline medical workers and other community agencies.

But the distillery said that number would be significantly lower without the support of Vernon’s Okanagan Springs Brewery.

Recently, the two joined forces to distil Okanagan Springs’ excess beer into “much needed” hand sanitizer during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Thousands of litres of good beer gets destroyed every day in our province due to fluctuations in market demand,” the distillery said. “With the current economic conditions and unfortunate hit on the restaurant industry, the number of full kegs sitting idle is staggering.”

The distillery describes this partnership as a “win-win” as breweries are required by the province to pay fees to properly destroy excess beer.

Individuals or businesses interested in picking up a bottle of locally produced hand sanitizer can visit the Vernon or Kelowna location. One complimentary bottle is provided with any purchase of an Okanagan Spirits’ product, but for those who don’t drink, sanitizer can be purchased by donation. Donations go toward the “Harness your inner Superhero” initiative, which continues the support of frontline medical workers.

For more information on Okanagan Spirits’ Flatten the Curve Hand Sanitizer, visit okanaganspirits.com.

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