NE New Mexico News

Rolling Still Distillery is known for its vodka but the two owners of the Taos business are now focusing on helping with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dan Irion and Scott Barady are now producing hand sanitizer.  

“We did it mostly because we could,” Irion told the Taos News.  

The business recently set up a stand and gave out 100 free bottles of hand sanitizer that it produced. 

Residents were extremely grateful. “It’s just going to make me feel more comfortable around town,” Paymaneh Ghaffari told the Toas News. “It’s really nice they’re doing this.” 

Irion said the process to make hand sanitizer is the same as producing vodka. The only difference in the process is that the liquid that comes out of the distiller is diluted with water until it is about 45% alcohol for vodka. For hand sanitizer, the liquid is diluted until it is about 65% alcohol, according to Taos News. That mixture is infused with local mountain sage and osha root.

The U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau gave distilleries the green light to produce sanitizer and has allowed some businesses to continue operating.

Rolling Still is among many other distillers across the country that have started producing hand sanitizer to help with the coronavirus outbreak. 

Using hand sanitizer with an alcohol content of more than 60 percent is advised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Irion said that he wants to continue providing free sanitizer to the public while bar operations are suspended. His staff is working to secure small vials for distribution.  

“We have the ability to do this and we need to be helping each other right now,” Irion told the Taos News.