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Tonight a local rum factory has single-handedly solved the problem of the hand-sanitizer shortage. Yes, Traveller’s Ltd. is bringing a new product to market it’s called Sani-bel.  In a swift switcharoo, G.O.B’s coronavirus task force has given Travellers clearance to switch from distilling rum, to making hand sanitiser. 

Cherisse Halsall went onto the distillery floor this morning to find out about Traveller’s move to repurpose manufacturing facilities and keep providing employment for all its workers:

This is the Travellers Liquors Distillery on the Phillip Goldson Highway. And while they’re known for their flagship products like Coconut Rum and the Elephant Foot, like every Belizean they were hit hard by the COVID-19 economic downturn. 

Magali Gabb - General Manager, Travellers Liquors Ltd.
"Well one of our biggest customers is the tourist so when the cruise ship stopped coming and the airport closed down we got affected by that."

Cherisse Halsall
"And in terms of downsizing or laying off staff did you have to do any of that?"

Magali Gabb
"We have not had to do that yet because as you can see they are still working. But what are they working on? Rum Shops nationwide are closed down by quarantine decree, but not Travelers."

That’s because their distillery is switching from rum production to hand sanitizer production.

Magali Gabb
"We saw a need for it as there is none on the shelves. They had spoken about it during the H1N1 came in but this time with the encouragement of the board of directors and WISPA, West Indies Spirit and Rum Association, that we belong to we’ve found out that other Caribbean countries was also doing this so we got the idea from that and encouragement from it. I was a little hesitant in the beginning because as you can see on Facebook people are already posting that it’s just rum with a new label and we want to make clear that it’s not for consumption and it’s very flammable so don’t use it close to a stove, fire-hearth, fireplace, anywhere near fire."

"We are using the World Health Organization’s recipe which includes glycerine, peroxide, and we added a little bit of citrus oil so that it doesn’t smell too much like alcohol and because some people are confusing it with rum and it’s clear like the rum I think this second batch might have a little colour in it. We’re gonna add a little colour so as not to consume it with rum because I don’t want anybody to consume it."

And this product is poised for success because in these trying times bringing it to market requires no marketing or advertising.

Magali Gabb
"We have had the poultry industry, the fruits industry, the pharmacists several places have asked us for it so we’ve had a lot of interest."

But, despite assured success, Travellers Ltd. wasn’t quite ready to go public with the new product line.

Magali Gabb
"Somebody leaked it and then I started getting calls as I got in. Calls for interviews like you guys and calls for orders. But I heard that it’s all positive most of them are positive, a couple of them are like saying it’s our rum we just re-labelled but as you can attest we have people here making sure that we do the right thing."

Now, depending on your view of the human condition, some may argue that - in a time like this - hand sanitizer is important, but so is rum!

But, right now, this move confirms that the balance of public interest, and of private revenue, falls to sanitisers, and Traveller’s deft repurposing of their distillery ensures that we should have ample local supply of a major weapon in the fight against COVID-19.

We want to make clear that this product is not made for consumption. It is made at a rum distillery but it has no relation to rum - basically, DO NOT DRINK IT.

The good news is that the first run of manufacturing has completely sold out.  You can get your orders in now for batch two which goes into production on Monday morning. Â 

The ONLY hitch facing the company right now, is a shortage of glycerin which is the product’s second ingredient after alcohol.  Belize's borders are closed, but soon enough Travellers will require an ample supply of glycerin to keep up with demand.