Dan Kennerson and partner Jon Dorfman turned ethanol research into an award-winning Vodka!
Show Notes
Host Mari Weaver introduces us to Dan Kennerson, who along with friend Jon Dorfman, was doing research for a Department of Defense contractor on ethanol purification. When they had the opportunity to purchase the laboratory in 2017, they faced the choice of producing highly purified spirits or hanging around dairy farms to develop ways of harnessing methane from cow manure. They found the decision to manufacture craft Vodka to be a slam dunk. Covid precipitated a quick pivot into manufacturing hand sanitizer. The first few hundred gallons were provided to Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital, which sparked requests from many other organizations and agencies. An example of the first sanitizer deliveries in a “vodka” bottle will end up in the American Museum of Natural History. South Fork has become the most awarded Vodka in California. The pair are now creating a community-driven marketplace to offer a series of additional products supporting philanthropic organizations.
What is The Sages Among Us?
Various hosts and guests take a look at people making a difference. It started out as an innovative book about leadership and civic engagement. Four years later, it’s successfully morphed into a weekly KVMR radio series about, you guessed it, leadership and civic engagement.