Georgia Magazine - June 2020 - 9

What's going on in your
community?

Georgia companies
make great neighbors

Share the good things your neighbors
are doing to help others. Email us at
magazine@georgiaemc.com.

Atlanta distillery makes hand sanitizer for first responders

OLD FOURTH DISTILLERY

y mid-March, Old Fourth Distillery in Atlanta began to see a drop
in sales for its bourbon, vodka and gin as news of the COVID-19
pandemic hit Georgia. Sales dropped 60 percent to 80 percent in a
matter of days.
Not wanting to furlough or lay off staff, owner Jeff Moore looked at
what distilleries across the nation were doing and saw that others were
making hand sanitizer for customers. Moore's staff shifted quickly to offer
free sanitizer to the public.
As news spread, however, dozens of people lined up at the distillery's
door on Edgewood Avenue, and Moore became concerned about social
distancing and putting even more people at risk. Health care professionals
urgently needed cleaning supplies, so the staff pivoted again.
"First responders and law enforcement agencies started knocking on
our door," Moore says. "We decided to put our heads down and get bottles
out to those in need."
The distillery purchased specially denatured alcohol, rather than
beverage alcohol, to create the type of sanitizer needed in medical settings.
The Georgia Emergency Management Agency ordered 10,000 gallons, and
the distillery is fulfilling orders for police departments and fire departments
in metro Atlanta. The distillery sends samples from each batch to a private
lab in Atlanta for testing, and the bottles receive lot numbers to ensure
safety. Now the distillery is filling and sending out 8-ounce, 1-gallon and
5-gallon containers daily.
"Public safety and emergency professionals, we've got you covered,"
he says.

Public safety agencies can inquire about the
hand sanitizer at o4d.com.
-Carolyn Crist

Albany brewery changes gears to help community

CHIPPER JONES

retoria Fields Collective in Albany began producing and
selling hand sanitizer in 8-ounce and 1-gallon bottles.
The brewery uses a Food and Drug Administration-approved recipe with ethyl alcohol, which creates an
80 percent alcohol anti-viral-strength liquid that can be used
in spray bottles.
"We wanted to be able to provide for people in our community," General Manager Tony Singletary says. "We've been
working on adrenaline to get it all done."
Chipper Jones, member services and safety coordinator at
Middle Georgia Electric Membership Corp. (EMC) in Vienna,
placed an order and also picked up a supply for Irwin EMC
(Ocilla), Ocmulgee EMC (Eastman) and Altamaha EMC (Lyons). EMC workers are using the sanitizer in their trucks and wiping
down doorknobs and other high-touch surfaces.
"It's remarkable that the brewery shut down and did this," Jones says.
"It gives us peace of mind knowing that we have sanitizer for everyone."
Sanitizer can be purchased at the Albany brewery at 120 Pine Ave.

and at retailers around the state. Companies with
bulk orders should call first. Find updates at
pretoriafields.com and on the company's social
media accounts.
-Carolyn Crist
www.georgiamagazine.org

http://www.o4d.com http://www.pretoriafields.com http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Georgia Magazine - June 2020

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