SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. — Ole Smoky Distillery, usually the makers of moonshine and whiskey, just donated its first big batch of hand sanitizer to the Sevier Co. Sheriff's Office.
With the popular tasting rooms shut down in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge because of the coronavirus, the workers switched some of their focus to helping their community.
“One of the greatest needs right now is to take care of our East Tennessee local police and sheriff departments, as well as first responders, as they continue their work, while needing protection from this virus,” said Joe Baker, Founder of Ole Smoky.
Ole Smoky will be first distributing its hand sanitizer in 5-gallon commercial-grade pails to these departments, including, Cocke County Sheriff’s Department, White Pine Police Department, Sevier County Sheriff’s Department and their workers at the county jail and courthouse.
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They will also produce smaller 50 ml jars of hand sanitizer first for their employees and their families. As production increases, the company also intends to offer them to the public through a new online ordering and distillery pickup option, which begins this week at their Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Distilleries.
“With our new online ordering platform, consumers can order directly from our distilleries, pay online, and schedule the pickup of their favorite Ole Smoky Moonshine and Whiskey products. With each purchase, we will include a free jar of our hand sanitizer,” said Robert Hall, CEO of Ole Smoky.
If you're wondering about the comparison between hand sanitizer and the distillery's alcohol, the hand sanitizer has a much higher proof. And it's not drinkable.