> But they couldn't...

This is false. Several breweries and distilleries started producing sanitizer basically overnight [0]. The requirement to add denaturing components to alcohol was suspended during the pandemic specifically to allow it [1].

[0] https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/distilleries-aroun...

[1] https://www.ttb.gov/laws-regulations-and-public-guidance/pub...

I swear there was one cheap sanitizer brand that smelled like tequila. Figured this is what they were doing.