2:50 p.m. Wednesday update: First responders, hospitals and managed care facilities can now submit requests for Tito’s Vodka hand sanitizer, the brand announced Wednesday.

Tito’s is working with local governments to distribute its first batch of hand sanitizer, totaling 24 tons, in bulk to police officers, firefighters, medics, hospitals and other medical staff, and managed care facilities, including nursing homes.

Request forms can be found online at https://www.tfaforms.com/4812077.

"The demand is very high, and our production capacity is limited, so we are unable to fulfill all current requests," a statement from Tito’s Vodka says. "It is anticipated that for the next several weeks, needs in our region and state will deplete all we can make to fill dire needs. We hope to have supply available for wider distribution in several weeks."

Tito’s expects it will be able to open requests for hand sanitizer outside of its immediate distillery region in the next two weeks.

"At that time, we anticipate there will be other avenues to get more sanitizer to all, and we are planning to be in a better position to help out where needs cannot be met," the statement says.

Monday: It was just a few weeks ago that Texans were using the alcohol in their perfectly good Tito’s Vodka to make hand sanitizer to stop the spread of the new coronavirus, causing the company to, in effect, throw up their hands and plead "wait, no, don’t do that," over and over again on social media.

Now, Tito’s Vodka is taking matters into its own hand sanitizer, if you will — the Austin-based brand is testing formulas for its own germ-killing solution to be produced in its distillery.

Tito’s has enough ingredients and equipment to make an initial 24 tons of hand sanitizer, which will be distributed for free to help combat the coronavirus, officials said in a statement.

"While we advise that you cannot use our standard vodka product as a hand sanitizer, our team at the distillery has been working to get all of the pieces in place to begin production on a hand sanitizer that adheres to industry and governmental guidance," the vodka brand said in the statement.

The announcement comes after the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau authorized production of ethanol-based hand sanitizers by permitted distillers last week.

Officials don’t yet have details on when the hand sanitizer will be ready or where people will be able to get their hands on it.

"We will update you as we know more," the brand said.

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A couple of other Austin-area liquor-makers are giving it a shot, too:

· In Blanco, Milam & Greene Distillery is releasing its own hand sanitizer made using the heads of the distillation process. Heads & Hearts Hand Sanitizer will be packaged and available for free to anyone who wants it. The distillery also will be distributing the hand sanitizer to all of the brand’s retail accounts (again, for free).

· In Driftwood, Desert Door Distillery is producing hand sanitizer with plans to make more than 20,000 eight-ounce bottles available free of charge. The hand sanitizer, made at a facility that typically produces Texas sotol, has 80% alcohol as the active ingredient.

Tito’s Vodka is also donating $2 million to industry organizations providing assistance to those affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

An initial $1 million will be split between CORE, USBG, Southern Smoke and World Central Kitchen.

CORE, Children of Restaurant Employees, gives support to children of food and beverage service employees who are navigating life-altering circumstances.

USBG, the United States Bartenders Guild, has a COVID-19 relief campaign for bartenders, bar backs and bar servers who need financial assistance because of a catastrophic event or emergency hardship.

Southern Smoke is a nonprofit foundation that has an emergency relief fund that gives financial assistance to food and beverage employees who are experiencing a crisis.

World Central Kitchen is working to offer free or affordable meals to families in need.

Statesman reporter Ari Auber contributed to this article.

While we advise that you cannot use our vodka as a hand sanitizer, our distillery has been working hard to get all of the pieces in place to begin production on 24 tons of hand sanitizer that adheres to industry and governmental guidance. Please see attached for more information. pic.twitter.com/c5pTzVOvv1

— TitosVodka (@TitosVodka) March 22, 2020