Members of the Moose Jaw Fire Department show off their shipment of "Emergency Vodka 70%" from Smooth 42 Distillery (Photo courtesy Moose Jaw Fire Department)A Moose Jaw area distillery is putting its resources in order to help frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Smooth 42 Craft Distillery, located in the Village of Brownlee, is helping emergency workers throughout Canada that are running out of rubbing alcohol by offering their 70 per cent “Emergency Vodka.”

“It’s ethyl alcohol, so it has the same effects as a 70 per cent isopropyl alcohol on killing bacteria except that it is technically food-grade and consumable,” Smooth 42 Chief Entertainment Officer Sacha Elez said.

Elez said the idea started when the distillery started offering their 90 per cent Cre8 Eco Vodka. When the pandemic hit, they did some research to see if there was any way they could help since they had the equipment to produce highly potent alcohol.

They have been receiving requests from police and fire departments, care homes, clinics and northern Saskatchewan communities that are struggling with supplies.

“We were hoping that no one would have to take us up on this offer, but within 24 hours with our email you can’t even keep up with the messages,” Elez said.

More information about Smooth 42’s Emergency Vodka project can visit their Facebook page.