Fredericksburg distillery makes generous gift to area first responders

Basic disinfectants, like hand sanitizer and wipes, have been in short supply in the wake of the coronavirus spread. A. Smith Bowman, an alcohol distillery in Fredericksburg, has stepped up to create hand sanitizers to donate to the nearby hospitals, and to first responders in the Fredericksburg area.

Master Distiller, Brian Prewitt and his team went to work with the supplies they had.

“We volunteered for the job. We had most of the materials able to make sanitizers and we just thought it was a great way to support our community and help out,” said Prewitt.

He started by calling the governments of counties in the surrounding area, and first responders, letting them know about the distillery’s willingness to donate to them.

“We contacted and donated to Mary Washington Hospitals, we sent it out to first responders in Caroline County, Stafford County, Spotsylvania County, and in Fredericksburg.”

Like most everything else on store shelves right now, getting the materials to make the disinfectant proved to be the most difficult part of the job. Masks were not able to be donated from Bowman Distilleries due to the lack of availability in online stores.

“The hardest part has been going through all the legal hurdles and getting the other supplies because everything is in short supply. But we are producing what we can, when we can, and we are doing our best to do our share.” Prewitt stated.

The distillery, known for its bourbon, followed the formula approved by the World Health Organization, which is, adding glycerin, hydrogen peroxide, pure water, and then bottle it up said Prewitt.

“So it is a lot like making the other products that we do, but it’s materials that we typically keep around as a food and beverage facility so hydrogen peroxide and glycerin are not things we typically would stock. When I saw things were turning for the worst, I got online, and contacted some of our suppliers and was able to source food-grade glycerin and hydrogen peroxide to be delivered and luckily it came in quick,” said Prewitt.

Distilleries usually use bigger containers for the alcohol they sell at stores. Prewitt and his team had to find appropriate containers to give to first responders and hospital workers.

“That was the hardest part to find but we found unused bottles in a warehouse located around the Baltimore area and midwest and were able to use them for our hand sanitizer once shipped in,” said Prewitt.

Making the stuff isn’t cheap.

“In taxes alone, it was like $50 a case, payments for labor, etc. cost thousands and thousands of dollars for us that we are just paying and we don’t care. We’re not in it to make a profit, we are in it to help our community,” Prewitt states.

While other area businesses have closed do to a federal shutdown, and Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s order requiring residents to stay-at-home until June 10, the staff at A. Smith Bowman are still going strong.

“We are deemed essential to keep ethanol up and running but our tourism and events were forced to shut down on that side. I had a crew that worked up to 60% of the distillery that were facing not having a job until this crisis is over, so we have moved those people over to help create sanitizer to give them something to do and keep them employed,” added Prewitt.

Recipients of the hand sanitizer were advised to pick up their donations from the Distillery. Large quantities were carried in cases.

“If we delivered them, we would be running all over the place,” Prewitt laughed. “We started handing them out the end of last week, and started again this week.”

These donations have brought smiles to these brave hospitals and first responder’s faces upon receiving the donations. “They are very grateful. With the surprisingly fast depletion of supplies, these items were very much in need and just being able to get something, although not in the quantity that everyone needs, I think they are just grateful about it and know that they can stay safe. Everyone has been really happy so far.”

So far Bowman Distillery has made thousands of hand sanitizers and plans to continue to support until this troubling time passes, making no profit off of any of their sanitizers for the common good.