Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By: Lisa Tindell

Finding hand sanitizer in many areas has become a difficult challenge, but one Brewton area business is doing their part to help out with this high-demand item.

Murder Creek Distillery, located in Riverview, is working hard to supply the need for the sanitizers in the area, according to Steven Matthews, co-owner of the business.

“The ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) sent us a letter last week on how to make hand sanitizer,” Matthews said.“Because of the need, they are waiving the regulations on making that for consumers.”

Matthews said the hand sanitizer he is currently producing is a by-product of their regular distilling process.

“This sanitizer is 80 percent alcohol by volume,” he said, “That is basically the ‘heads and tails’ of our distilling process. That is a product that comes off our product that we don’t put in the drink itself. But, because of the purity, it’s a great sanitizer.”

As a result of the encouragement from ATF, Matthews said the sanitizer he has already produced as already been distributed.

“We sold 10 gallons to D.W. McMillan Hospital (Monday) and we are still working to make more,” Matthews said. “I will probably be able to have another five gallons by the end of today. We get a lot of calls asking about the sanitizer every day. We probably get a call an hour about it.”

The demand is so great for the sanitizer right now, that Matthews said he’s even changed some of his regular distilling to make way for producing what the public and private communities need.

“I’ve turned half of our lines over to making just sanitizer,” Matthews said. “It’s not profitable for us to make that, but it is useful and we’re doing what we can to help.”

Matthews said the sanitizer is available to the public but finding the proper vessels for the precious liquid has been an issue.

“We don’t have a lot of containers for the sanitizer,” Matthews said. “We are doing everything we can. We will sell to the public when we have it made and ready to go. We will even be happy to fill a customer’s container if they bring it to us for filling.”

In addition to D.W. McMillan hospital purchasing from the distillery business, other local industry and business leaders are looking to purchase as well.

Rick Wilson, owner of Brewton Iron Works, made the trek to the business in order to secure sanitizer for his employees.

“We want to buy 50 bottles so that we can give one to each of our employees,” Wilson said. “We need to do what we can to keep our people safe and to help out other businesses in our area.”

Along with offering the sanitizer for private and public use, Matthews and his wife, Brittanie, will continue to have the business open to offer their usual products to customers.

“We will continue our hours of business,” Brittanie said. “We are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.”

Murder Creek Distillery is located in the Riverview community, just past the bridges on U.S. 41 South. They can be reached at (850) 621-3818 or you can follow them on Facebook or visit their website at www.murdercreekdistillery.com.