We sit at home and practice shelter in place and social distancing as we listen to reports of the coronavirus pandemic spreading like wildfire across the globe. Thankfully more and more leaders (although not as many as we would hope) are taking this crisis seriously and they are taking important executive actions and introducing crucial legislation to address the pandemic with the hope of quickly arresting its spread. One of these steps includes the shuttering of all non-essential businesses although the definition of such is not readily apparent in many instances.
Thankfully there are businesses large and small that are still open and providing necessities of life to local communities in these very uncertain times. I would like to take just a moment to spotlight one rather new local business, a small artisanal distillery, that has come up with a creative way of addressing the crisis and the shortage of critical products now difficult to find in grocery stores and pharmacies that have remained open.
Craft and artisanal distilleries and breweries across the country have joined together to produce the high proof ethanol required for hand sanitizer for their local communities. And it is happening right here where I live on the fringes of Washington, DC. Sang Froid Distilling, just a short distance up the road from me in Hyattsville, is the brainchild of Nate Groenendyk and Jeff Harner. It is the first distillery in almost a century to open in suburban Prince George’s County, Maryland, the eastern gateway to our nation’s capital. The small storefront distillery and tasting room on the US Route One corridor, is primarily known for its limited production of a Dutch-style Genever gin, rye whiskey, and assorted fruit brandies inspired by the European and early American traditions, and by using the best locally found ingredients and fruit grown in their own orchard in western Maryland.
Sangfroid, or sang-froid, is a French term translated as "cold blood," but is normally defined as a feeling of composure or coolness, frequently while under pressure or trying circumstances, or even during dangerous conditions. I would imagine one wishes to remain cool and composed while creating artisanal spirits, yet the distillery’s name is also rather appropriate given the dangerous and uncertain times in which we find ourselves.
At this important stage of its early existence, as it tries to establish itself and ramp up production and marketing of a variety of spirits, Sang Froid Distilling’s founders remain cool and composed as they now gather the necessary supplies they will require as they convert their distillery’s modest equipment to process sugar rather than grains for the production of hand sanitizer pursuant to a recipe provided by the World Health Organization [WHO]. This is possible after the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau altered its policies and regulations by waiving provisions of internal revenue law to permit licensed distillers to produce high proof ethanol after being contacted by local agencies to help address the current shortages. The distillery notified it customers that its capacity for sanitizer production would only be a "drop in the bucket," but the effort had to start somewhere local and it was hoped that larger distilleries across the country and beyond would step up to the plate. Apparently they have.
It has been reported that Pernod Ricard, Jameson Irish whiskey, and Absolut vodka have now received federal authorization to produce hand sanitizer and the President and his White House task force have praised corporate distilleries for their actions while seemingly ignoring (what’s new?) the small local artisanal distilleries and breweries that have at great sacrifice set the effort in motion to address shortages in their local communities.
I consider myself lucky to live in such a community and I just wanted to give a big shout out to the good folks Sang Froid Distilling and all the other small operations around the country. We appreciate your spirit (and your spirits) and sacrifice, your coolness and composure, in these trying times.
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