DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. — A distillery in Middletown is changing its operations and making new products because of COVID-19, and we're not talking new drinks.
It's not tequila, vodka, or whiskey.
"This is pretty much unexpected," Daniel Kulick, the Master Distiller at Tattered Flag Brewery and Still Works, said. "Trying to figure out recipes. Trying to learn on the fly. Just to be able to help."
Aloe, peroxide, and empty containers.
"Yeah a little different," Wayne Blecher from Elizabethtown, said. "Sort of expected though. Everything is changing right now. You're never quite sure what you're going to see when you go into places."
Tattered Flag Brewery and Still Works has added to its beer and alcohol production, and started making hand sanitizer.
"We proof it up to 190 proof," Kulick said. "And then we're using that alcohol then to use it for the sterilization of your hands or surfaces or anything else."
So how much can they make?
"We have a 310 gallon still," Kulick said. "Whenever we're producing things or running things off we can produce as much as the still allows, depending on how much alcohol base we have. So if you have something that's 10% alcohol and 300 gallons, that'll really give you about 30 gallons of pure alcohol."
Now they need donations of hydrogen peroxide and containers.
"Even like a spray bottle," Kulick said. "Like a window cleaning bottle. Something like that. Also even a little condiment bottle - we actually fill that up with the gel itself. And then even small little bottles that anybody can actually use that we can hand out to our firemen, our first responders, our doctors, nursing homes, those sorts of things that are on the front lines."
A noble gesture. After all, Kulik said everyone needs to try to find a solution to this problem, and not be part of it.
"When things go bad, you have to deal with it one thing at a time," Kulik said. "Don't overload yourself don't overwhelm yourself. But also too, look to see how you can help others. Unfortunately we're all in this together. And so any little bit - if somebody comes in and picks up some hand sanitizer. If they order a burger, if they order fries, if they grab some alcohol or beer to go, that helps cover our costs to help provide this special need for everyone else."
Right now the distillery is being flooded with calls and emails. They are only giving large quantities of hand sanitizer to first responders at the moment. If you'd like to get some, you can call (717) 616-8799 in and get your name on the list.