>>> HAND SANITIZERS ARE AMONG
THE MOST SOUGHT-AFTER PRODUCTS
DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC.
STORES ARE IN SHORT SUPPLY AND
IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO BUY ONLINE,
YOU ARE OFTEN OUT OF LUCK.
TO HELP PEOPLE IN WESTERN NEW
ENGLAND, LOCAL BREWERIES AND
DISTILLERIES ARE SHIFTING FROM
PRODUCING ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES TO
SANITIZERS.
"CONNECTING POINT'S" ROSS
LIPPMAN TAKES US TO ONE SUCH
BREWERY IN FRANKLIN COUNTY, TO
SEE HOW THEY'RE LENDING A
HELPING HAND TO KEEP YOUR HANDS
CLEAN.
>> SITUATED BETWEEN THE IMPASSE
IS MILLERS FALLS.
EVERYTHING ABOUT IT IS SMALL.
INCLUDING ITS BREWERY.
ELEMENT BREWING AND DISTILLERY.
FOR YEARS IT WAS THE SMALLEST
BREWERY AND DISTILLERY IN
MASSACHUSETTS AND STILL IS
SMALLEST DISTILLERY IN THE
STATE.
THEY ARE MAKING A BIG DIFFERENCE
IN THE FIGHT AGAINST
CORONAVIRUS.
>> IT HAS BEEN TURNING OUR WORLD
UPSIDE DOWN.
>> THE CO OWNERS SINCE MARCH
HAVE BEEN MAKING ONE OF THE
HARDEST TO FIND ITEMS DURING THE
PANDEMIC, HAND SANITIZER.
>> YEAH.
THIS IS ALL WE ARE DOING RIGHT
NOW, IS RUNNING HAND SANITIZER
THROUGH THE STOVE.
WE HEARD ABOUT OTHER
DISTILLERIES MAKING HAND
SANITIZER.
WE QUICKLY LOOKED INTO THAT AND
DECIDED IT WAS SOMETHING WE
CERTAINLY COULD DO.
>> AND WHILE IT MAY SEEM LIKE AN
EASY SWITCH, GOING FROM
DISTILLING LIQUOR TO MAKING HAND
SANITIZER, IT REQUIRED A WHOLE
NEW SET OF SKILLS FOR CRAMER AND
ANHALT.
>> WE HAD TO FIGURE IT OUT.
WHEN WE WERE FIRST LOOKING INTO
IT, THE INFORMATION WASN'T AS
READILY AVAILABLE AS IT IS NOW.
>> IN ADDITION TO CDC GUIDELINES
ON BEST PRACTICES FOR THE USE OF
HAND SANITIZERS, THE FDA WAS
REQUIRING DISTILLERIES TO SUBMIT
INFORMATION TO VERIFY THE
EFFICACY OF THEIR SANITIZERS
BEFORE MAKING IT AVAILABLE TO
THE PUBLIC.
WITH THE NEED BEING SO HIGH,
THOSE REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN
WAIVED.
>> DRASTIC TIMES CALL FOR
DRASTIC MEASURES.
IF YOU FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES
WE GIVE YOU BLANKET APPROVAL.
>> THEY ARE SELLING HAND
SANITIZERS, BUT THE REAL WORK IS
THE DONATIONS TO THE FIRST
RESPONDERS, POLICE, FIRE
STATIONS, EMS WORKERS AND FOOD
PANTRIES, THEY HAVE DONATED
GALLONS OF HAND SANITIZERS.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL HELPLESS
IN THIS SITUATION AND IT IS
GRATIFYING TO SAY I'M
CONTRIBUTING TO OUR COMMUNITY
AND BEING ABLE TO DO SOMETHING.
WE ARE JUST FORTUNATE THAT WE
HAVE THE EQUIPMENT AND THE
CAPABILITY TO BE ABLE TO DO
SOMETHING THAT IS SUDDENLY SO IN
NEED.
>> THEY'LL ALSO BE THE FIRST TO
TELL YOU THESE HAND SANITIZING
SAVIORS NEVER SAW THEMSELVES AS
WHITE KNIGHTS.
>> I WOULDN'T SAY WE SET OUT
WITH ANY ALTRUISTIC GOALS OF WE
ARE GOING TO SAVE THE VALLEY
FROM COVID.
WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INTEGRATED
INTO THE COMMUNITY SO GIVING IT
AWAY TO FIRST RESPONDERS FAR AND
WIDE IN MASSACHUSETTS THAT WAS
KIND OF A NO-BRAINER.
>> NOW THE COMBINATION OF
ELEMENT'S GENEROSITY TO FIRST
RESPONDERS AND THE CUSTOMERS TO
BUY HAND SANITIZERS, LEAVES THEM
IN THE SAME DILEMMA.
>> WE ARE RUNNING OUT.
WE ARE TRYING TO THROTTLE PEOPLE
BACK A LITTLE BIT.
WE WILL HAVE MORE.
I WOULD RATHER SPREAD IT OUT TO
EVERYBODY WHO NEEDS IT AND COME
BACK NEXT WEEK AND GET A LITTLE
MORE.
>> SO HERE ARE TWO GUYS WHO
STARTED A BUSINESS BECAUSE THEY
LIKED MAKING BOOZE.
HAVING TO MAKE ETHICAL CHOICES
SUCH AS HOW TO RATION HAND
SANITIZER TO THE PUBLIC.
SOMETIMES THE MOST UNSUSPECTING
PEOPLE HAVE TO MAKE THE HARDEST
CHOICES.
>> RIGHT?
WE WERE MAKING GIN AND TONICS
BEFORE THAT.
WE WERE ALWAYS AN ETHICAL
BUSINESS BEFORE THAT.
IT IS NOT OUTSIDE OF OUR
WHEELHOUSE TO CONTINUE THAT
OTHER TO HAND SANITIZER.
IT IS PART OF OUR M.O.
OF WHAT
WE ARE DOING.
WE HAVE NEVER SAID YOU CAN ONLY
HAVE THREE BOTTLES OF VODKA, TWO
BOTTLES OF VODKA, ONE BOTTLE OF
VODKA.
THAT PART IS, YEAH, QUITE
DIFFERENT.
