Mad River Distillers: Rum-a-Dub-Dub

When the world turns upside down, many people reach for a bottle of spirits. Alex Hilton and Mimi Buttenheim went for a barrel of rum and turned that into not a cocktail but… hand sanitizer. 

Alex mans the gleaming vats and manages the operations at Mad River Distillers, and Mimi serves as president. The duo fired up the still and produced their first batch of sanitizer in the middle of March, which seems like a lifetime ago. “We wanted to alleviate the anxiety and panic of our local community, to give them some peace of mind,” Mimi explains. “We’re not looking to ramp up and service a hospital. We’re working in cooperation with several state and federal agencies who recognize that we’re not a pharma company, we’re just a small distillery in a big barn!”

Alex takes Mad River’s Silver Rum 44 rum, which is normally destined for bars and restaurants, and redistills it to achieve the approved alcohol level sanctioned by the World Health Organization. He then adds the requisite hydrogen peroxide and glycerin and voila, sanitizer! “We made 50 liters for our first batch which we then bottled and gave away to community members and at our Burlington tasting room two weekends ago before it closed,” Mimi says.

Another batch is underway which they plan to distribute at a pop-up station located at the Mad River Taste Place in Waitsfield each week. “We don’t live in a city where everything can be delivered or easily accessed,” Mimi continues. “This is just a small solution to help our neighbors and the Mad River Valley.”