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RackHouse Whiskey Club shipping vodka hand sanitizer to its members

April 9, 2020

Craft whiskey subscription service RackHouse Whiskey Club has teamed up with two Washington-based distilleries to supply craft whiskey and hand sanitizer derived from vodka to its club members impacted by the coronavirus in 39 states.

Solar Spirits Distillery has made the switch from making whiskey, vodka and gin to running its still to help in the fight against COVID-19. The 190-proof vodka is blended to World Health Organization standard 80% alcohol hand sanitizer. A bottle of sanitizer will be included in the next RackHouse Whiskey Club box.

“We began producing hand sanitizer because we wanted to do our part to ensure people in our community remain safe during this pandemic,” said Dr. Jim Batdorf, Head Distiller at Solar Spirits. “We’re proud to be able to extend that to RackHouse Whiskey Club members around the nation.”

RackHouse Whiskey Club is a bi-monthly subscription box that features the stories and products of US craft distilleries. The next box, which ships April 10, features one of Seattle’s only grain-to-glass distilleries, 2bar Spirits, and will include both of their products — their Moonshine and their Bourbon.

“As one of the regions hardest hit by the coronavirus, we’re proud to be partnering with two Washington distilleries to highlight how this industry pulls together in a time of need,” said Dannie Strable, CEO of RackHouse Whiskey Club in an announcement. “We wanted to make sure our members remain safe so what better way to do that than by providing them with hand sanitizer made from vodka!”

Memberships to RackHouse Whiskey Club start at $89 every two months.

Previous coverage

RackHouse Whiskey Club: Every whiskey has a story -July 12, 2018

Tags: coronavirus COVID-19 RackHouse Whiskey Club

RackHouse Whiskey Club shipping vodka hand sanitizer to its members | Clay & Milk

A central Iowa ag-tech accelerator has secured more backers and finally has a name. The Greater Des Moines Partnership first announced the accelerator last year, naming four initial investors. On Monday, the Partnership said the program will be called the "Iowa AgriTech Accelerator" and named three new investors. The new investors include Grinnell Mutual, Kent Corp. and Sukup Manufacturing, all Iowa companies. They join investors Deere & Co., Peoples Co., Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Co. and DuPont Pioneer. Each investor has agreed to put up $100,000 for the first year of the accelerator. Startups entering the program will receive $40,000 in seed funding in exchange for 6 percent equity. Tej Dhawan, an angel investor and local startup mentor, is serving as interim director until the AgriTech Accelerator names a permanent leader. Dhawan held a similar role with the GIA before Brian Hemesath was named as managing director. As interim director, Dhawan said his main job includes hiring the accelerator's executive director, establishing a business structure and initial recruiting for the first cohort. The accelerator will place few filters, such as location and product, on the applicant pool, Dhawan said. "When you’re seeking innovation, innovation can come from every corner of the world so why restrict ourselves," he said. One area the the AgriTech Accelerator won't recruit from is biotech. For its first cohort, the AgriTech Accelerator will work out of the GIA's space in Des Moines' East Village, Dhawan said. A future, permanent home is still to be decided. The accelerator's program will host startups from mid-July through mid-October, ending with an event connected to the annual World Food Prize. The GIA, which the AgriTech Accelerator is based on, also ends with presentations at an industry event. The accelerator has also started lining up a mentor pool. The Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association and the Iowa Pork Producers Association have agreed to provide mentors, as has Iowa State University. While the AgriTech Accelerator is loosely based off of the GIA, it will differ in its business structure, Dhawan said. The GIA runs through a for-profit model for both operations and its investment fund. The AgriTech Accelerator will have a nonprofit model for its operations and a for-profit setup for its fund. Dhawan said the nonprofit model is being used so the accelerator can better work with other nonprofit partners, such as trade associations. "These are all organizations that are nonprofits and can be amazing stakeholders without ever having to be investors in the accelerator," he said. "It becomes easier to work with trade associations in their nonprofit role when we are also a nonprofit." When it's up and running, the AgriTech Accelerator would be one of a handful of ag-focused startup development programs in Iowa. Others include the Ag Startup Engine out of Iowa State University and the Rural Ventures Alliance from Iowa MicroLoan. Matthew Patane is the managing editor and co-founder of Clay & Milk. Send him an email at mpatane@clayandmilk.com.

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