Sagamore Spirit, Baltimore, said it has procured materials sufficient to manufacture an initial 54,000 liters of hand sanitizer that will first be made available to Maryland health providers including Johns Hopkins, which has been advising the company on manufacturing the vital sanitizer to WHO and FDA standards for safety and efficacy.
But if it can procure packaging that became in short supply once COVID-19’s potential domestic impact was realized and if Congress temporarily waives an arcane statute that requires the use of isopropyl alcohol for denaturing, the Maryland Rye distiller can produce up to 100,000 liters a month. The World Health Organization deems isopropyl alcohol unnecessary to manufacture safe and effective hand sanitizer, the company said. .
Sagamore Spirit said it has procured enough isopropyl alcohol to produce the initial 54,000-liter run, but since it is in short supply, the distiller’s ability to expand to the potential 100,000-liter monthly production level entirely depends on Congress’s willingness to waive the denaturing requirement.
“There is no higher priority than serving the growing and vital needs of the health professionals who are selflessly giving of themselves for the greater good of all,” said Brian Treacy, president. “Everyone at Sagamore Spirit feels it in their hearts and is prepared to contribute to this global effort the best they possibly can. We feel fortunate to have not only the will, but also the expertise and manufacturing capacity to make a difference, and at a meaningful level if Congress chooses to act.”
Treacy said the company was following in the spirit and example of its Baltimore distilling predecessors, which rose to the challenge of World War II by becoming one of the nation’s major supplies of vital ethanol.