Dundee distillery switches production from gin to hand sanitiser

A distillery has switched production from gin to hand sanitiser after an appeal from local care groups in the wake of coronavirus.

Verdant Spirits, based in Dundee's west end, hopes to produce 400 litres of the gel, starting this week.

The company, and two other distilleries in Aberdeenshire and the Highlands, were approached by care partnerships.

Owner Andrew Mackenzie tracked down the ingredients listed on the World Health Organisation's website.

He said: "We put out a Facebook call because we couldn't track down any hydrogen peroxide and that paid off, so we've got that covered.

"We've got 20 litres of glycerine coming which is all we can get, because they're rationing."

Mr Mackenzie said the "tricky bit" was that, as a distillery, he is still liable to pay duty on the alcohol used in the production of the hand sanitiser.

He said: "That's costing £25 per litre we get out the door.

"It looks like various care communities and surgeries are prepared to pay the £28.30 that it's going to cost us to produce it, and on the basis if we do get a rebate of the duty, that will go back to them.

"We're moving ahead positively, but we need to find a solution to the duty issue."