Las Cruces distiller shifts gears to start making hand sanitizer

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- As hand sanitizer supplies continues flying off the shelves, a Las Cruces native is working to make more and keep his community free from more Covid-19 infections.

In just a week of work, the owner of Dry Point Distillers was able to make 35 gallons of hand sanitizer and is currently working through several supply issues to make much more as quickly as he can.

Machines that had been busy producing alcohol were transitioned to make hand sanitizer, but production has been slowed down by nationwide supply issues.

“There is a national shortage of ethanol, hydrogen peroxide, glycerin, bottles and we are trying to work all of the angles to get all of the materials in, but best case scenario I am looking at two more weeks before I can start production again," said the owner of Dry Point Distillers, Chris Schaefer.

Schaefer says that bottling has been the most tedious part of the process, but it has also allowed Schaefer to start bringing his staff back to work.

“I had got 5 bartenders that are all laid off and so I am trying to do my best to get them in to get them hours," Schaefer said.

The sanitizer is made with a special recipe pre-approved by the federal government and according to Schaefer, he’ll be able to produce about 50 gallons of sanitizer a day once his production needs are re-supplied.