In a rye twist on the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, a Lititz distillery best known for its whiskey turned its equipment toward something the whole country suddenly needed.
Stoll and Wolfe Distillery shifted production in March 2020 to make surface disinfectant, with plans to add hand sanitizer once supplies arrived.
From whiskey to disinfectant
“We’re currently making surface disinfectant, but are awaiting a shipment of glycerol to produce sanitizer according to protocol laid out by the World Health Organization,” said Erik Wolfe, a partner in the company, in late March 2020.
The WHO had published a formula that small producers could follow to make alcohol-based hand rub. Glycerol is one of the key ingredients, helping protect skin from drying out, and like many supplies at the time it was in short supply.
Stoll and Wolfe was part of a nationwide wave. As the first confirmed U.S. cases were followed by growing outbreaks in cities such as Philadelphia and New York, store shelves emptied of hand sanitizer. Small distilleries across the country, already set up to handle high-proof alcohol, pivoted to fill the gap.
Deliveries and curbside
By March 24, 2020, the Lititz distillery was busy delivering surface disinfectant to customers. It was also delivering its spirits, including vodka, gin, whiskey and bourbon.
Orders could be placed on the company’s website for curbside pickup or delivery. Buyers had to be 21 or older and show valid identification, and the company posted detailed instructions for how ordering and pickup worked.
Tasting room closed
The Stoll and Wolfe Tasting Room in downtown Lititz was closed at the time under then-Gov. Tom Wolf’s order shutting bars and liquor stores across Pennsylvania. During a press briefing that week, the governor said the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board was being used to enforce the orders and make sure bars stayed closed.
That left producers like Stoll and Wolfe relying on direct sales, delivery and new products to keep their staff working.
A local craft success
Stoll and Wolfe built its reputation on rye whiskey, a style with deep roots in Pennsylvania history. The distillery’s founders have described their mission as reviving that tradition in Lancaster County, and the tasting room became a regular stop for visitors exploring Lititz’s downtown shops and restaurants.
The pandemic forced every small business in town to rethink how it operated. For a craft distiller, the shift to disinfectant was both a way to help neighbors and a way to keep the operation running while its main storefront sat empty.
How to order
At the time, Stoll and Wolfe asked customers interested in disinfectant, sanitizer or its spirits to call 717-799-4499 or visit the company’s website for current availability and pickup options.
Looking back
The spring of 2020 showed how quickly local manufacturers could adapt. Elsewhere in Lititz, stage-technology company TAIT turned its shops toward face shields and protective barriers. At Stoll and Wolfe, the same stills that made award-winning whiskey were briefly part of the community’s effort to slow the spread of the virus.
Part of a wider shift
Across Pennsylvania, distilleries large and small made similar moves that spring, often giving sanitizer to hospitals, police departments and nursing homes before selling any to the public. Federal regulators temporarily eased rules so that distillers could make hand sanitizer without the usual permits, as long as they followed the WHO or FDA formulas. For craft producers that had spent years building a brand around flavor and heritage, the work was a reminder that their equipment and expertise could serve a very practical purpose when the community needed it.
This story was originally reported by Lynn Rebuck for LititzDailyNews.com in March 2020 and has been updated for our archive.