Picture courtesy of Good Spirits Distillery

Picture courtesy of Good Spirits Distillery

Picture courtesy of Good Spirits Distillery

OLATHE, Kan. — A metro distilling company has switched completely from vodka to disinfectant and has hired nearly three times their previous work force to meet the demand.

Bruce Alexander with Good Spirits said a normal shift had about nine workers at any given time. Now, they’re up to 26 workers, running two shifts from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m.

“We’ve got families… we’ve got moms and dads, sisters and brothers,” Alexander said. “Everyone’s been real thankful.”

In a statement, Alexander said he called an owner of a restaurant group. There, he found his new employees, who had been laid off due to the coronavirus pandemic and the local “stay-at-home” orders.

The formula is mostly alcohol mixed with a few other ingredients, like glycerin. The result is a watery disinfectant that can be used for a variety of purposes.

“It’s from the World Health Organization recipe,” Alexander told FOX4. “It’s hand sanitizer… some people have been adding a sprayer to it.”

He said that his company has shipped about 8,450 cases so far, but they already have orders for 100,000 more. Each case contains anywhere from 6 to 12 bottles, depending on the size. Trucks are taking the disinfectant to liquor stores and retailers in several states.

The company is also sending thousands of free cases to hospitals, first responders and other front-line workers, according to a statement.

“We’ll be at least two months, quite honestly. I think we’re building a new habit that’s not going to go away anytime soon,” Alexander said, anticipating a higher demand for disinfectant in the future due to the pandemic. “We’ve built it into our business model now.”