SOUTH KINGSTOWN – Skin care and craft spirits may not seem like essentials in a global health crisis, but two Rhode Island companies in these respective industries have teamed up to create and give away a much-needed product: hand sanitizer.
Sons of Liberty Beer & Spirits Co. of South Kingstown and North Kingstown-based JAVA Skin Care on Monday will give out 2,000, 2-ounce bottles of hand sanitizer to local residents to help aid in preventing the spread of the new coronavirus. The homemade sanitizer uses high-proof alcohol from Sons of Liberty along with other ingredients based on the World Health Organization recipe to ensure it meets public health standards for killing germs and bacteria, according to Bryan Ricard, marketing director for Sons of Liberty.
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“We can make it pretty easily, so it was kind of an obvious decision,” said Ricard, who also highlighted the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau’s waiver of normal license provisions for distilleries to produce ethanol-based sanitizers.
Employees from the two companies spent Friday mixing, bottling and packaging the product in a social distance-style assembly line at Sons of Liberty’s South Kingstown distillery. While the sanitizer will be available for free, Sons of Liberty and JAVA Skin Care will also feature their products for sale during the giveaway.
“It’s an opportunity to share our brands and do something good for the community,” said Stephanie Additon, founder of JAVA Skin Care.
Plans for larger batches for businesses are also in the works, though they may be offered at a cost rather than given away, Ricard said.
The giveaway will take place from noon to 6 p.m. on Monday at Sons of Liberty’s distillery, with a limit of three bottles per household. The companies are also taking requests from businesses using an online form.
Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Lavin@PBN.com.
