The maker of Coors beer is joining other breweries and distilleries across the country in producing hand sanitizer

• Molson Coors Beverage Co., the maker of Coors beer, plans to produce hand sanitizer at its craft brewery locations in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
• Coors pledged to give a $1 million donation to the United States Bartenders' Guild, an organization that helps bartenders and other service industry professionals.
• The company is also providing meals to non-profits, distributor partners, and employees.
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The maker of Coors beer, Molson Coors Beverage Co., is producing hand sanitizer at all six of its craft breweries in response to the coronavirus outbreak, the company announced.

The company's craft breweries are not only using their equipment and raw materials to make hand sanitizer, they're also giving meals to nonprofits in their communities as well as their distributor partners and employees, in addition to donating funds to help bartenders and service industry workers affected by the massive bar and restaurant closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fighting the coronavirus is a nationwide call, and making hand sanitizer has become a concerted effort among breweries and distilleries across the US as companies big and small begin to alter their production lines to help make more hand sanitizer during the nation's massive shortage.

"Craft brewers were built beer by beer in their hometowns and they are all about community," Paul Verdu, vice president of Tenth and Blake, Molson Coors' U.S. craft arm said. "Doing the right thing to lift up our communities, including our retailer and distributor partners, to lend a hand to the very people who helped establish these businesses isn't a heavy lift for our craft brewers because that's who they are as people and that's what their businesses are all about."

One craft brewer, Leinenkugel's, plans to give 165 barrels of bulk beer to the nearby Chippewa River Distillery in Wisconsin to use for the manufacturing hand sanitizer.

Coors also donated 50,000 cans of water to the Salvation Army Intermountain Division in Denver, Colo, the company said. And Coors pledged to give $1 million to the United States Bartenders' Guild, an organization that helps bartenders and other service industry professionals.

Tito's Handmade Vodka, Pernod Ricard- which makes drinks such as Absolut Vodka, Jameson Irish Whiskey, and Malibu, as well as smaller distilleries and New York State, are also making hand sanitizers.

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