REGINA -- A Brownlee, Sask. distillery is switching gears during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on creating sanitizer instead of spirits.
Sacha Elez, co-owner of Smooth 42 Craft Distillery, says the company is producing rubbing alcohol instead of vodka.
"I personally am concerned that the healthcare system might get overloaded so I'm doing everything in my power to make sure that our healthcare system and emergency services are able to function properly," he told CTV Morning Live Regina on Friday.
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Elez said the distillery was able to handle the high proof product after the launch of a 90 per cent eco vodka.
"It wasn't much to switch gears," he said.
All other products have been put on hold so Smooth 42 can use its resources to create a 70 per cent vodka emergency services can use as an alternative to rubbing alcohol. Elez said the product has already been delivered to 25 communities free of charge.
"Everybody's been super grateful," he said. "They all hope that the supply chain can catch up, but until then we wanted Saskatchewan and the rest of Canada to be able to rely on us to provide them with their rubbing alcohol if they need it."
Distilleries across the country have shifted to sanitizer production to help combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.
