Tell Me a little about Damaged Goods Distilling Co. What do you do?
"Damaged Goods Distilling Co. is the brainchild of Tim Laferla and Pia Papenfuss - an acclaimed cocktail bartender and a fine-dining chef who are on a mission to prove that spirits made with imperfect ingredients don’t have to be anything less than perfect… in fact, as two ex-hospo alums, our palates are finely tuned to seek perfection, so that’s the only thing we’ll accept. Where others saw waste citrus husks from juicing companies, apple pulp from cider making and misshapen bananas from Carnarvon, we saw the base for a citrus-
forward gin, a crushable apple aperitivo and a clean and creamy vodka."
"We’re not trying to recreate the same spirits you’re used to, though. We’re aiming for even better. Our unique ingredients and innovative distilling techniques create traditional taste profiles with a delightful twist. And you won’t believe they ever came from waste. We’re all about pushing boundaries, not only with our recipes, but with our operations across the board, including at our close-to-zero-waste distillery. And we’re genuinely passionate about the planet, which makes it all the more satisfying knowing that we are saving produce from landfill, one sip at a time. Now drinking the highest quality spirits and making a sustainable choice don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Cheers to that!"
How long have you been in business with Sweeter Banana?
"We’ve been working with sweeter banana for around 4-5 months now. It’s been quite a process to get our product up and running. We’ve successfully done it at a small scale but at the commercial scale has presented some challenges. We’ve used so far pretty close to 1 tonne of bananas in trying to work out the kinks. And we’re nearly there!"
How did you get involved with Sweeter Banana?
"Because our business is so different in the way we work we kind of found them. Bananas are one of the most wasted fruits in the world, if not THE most wasted fruit. So we have been dreaming of doing something with bananas since the day we conceptualised Damaged Goods Distilling Co. Above all we wanted to make a product that in the long term that can have a significant impact in using up as many bananas as possible, that’s why we use them as a source of fermentable sugar, not just as a flavour."
Why did you choose Sweeter?
"The hint is also in the name, “Sweeter” banana. The more sweet, the more fermentable sugars we can use to turn into alcohol, which gives us a better yield and better tasting product. We don’t care what the bananas look like, only how they taste. On top of that being local and more susceptible to rejection it was a no-brainer for us."
What are your days and location of trading
"We're located in Perth and are open to the public for tastings Friday, Saturday and Sunday 11am-5pm.
Online orders are available anytime through our website and in a number of bars and bottle shops throughout Perth.
What is your product range?
"It is still a work in progress, but we are making a classic style vodka with a twist. Traditionally vodka would be made from grains or potatoes, but anything with fermentable sugars is possible. We just happen to be using bananas! Clean, creamy and elegant this is more banana in name than in nature, so works perfectly in all the classics – like vodka sodas, martinis, etc. Aptly, it’s called “Gone Bananas Vodka”
What feedback do you get from customers?
"The feedback so far has been amazing, we’ve given a few people a sneak peak of our small scale test runs. We’ve had more interest in this product than you can imagine, because its so atypical to use Bananas in this way, and the idea is to have a top-quality product to back that up. We really want to redefine what quality means both in what we produce and the ingredients that it comes from. A few little blemishes, or odd shapes/sizes really makes very little difference to the quality of fruit inside!"
Why do you trust our product?
"When working with family-owned farms you know that the quality is going to be there. Its so much more hands on at those kinds of scales, which means the quality control and attention to detail is just so much higher, rather than an automated process which doesn’t have that human element. Humans make mistakes occasionally, but also have a sixth sense that machines just can’t replicate."
How do our bananas make your product stand out?
"I don’t know of anyone else making a vodka out of bananas in the way we are, so I’d have to say it could possibly be a first. The creamy texture of the sweeter bananas really translates into the finished spirit, which is what we love the most."
How do our bananas make your product stand out?
"On the surface, the process is fairly simple. We mash the bananas and ferment them with yeast to essentially create a banana “wine”. We then distill this wine, which concentrates the alcohol, to create a very strong vodka. After that, we slowly dilute it down to bottling strength and filter it through charcoal which comes from spent coconut shells. Then et voila! We have Gone Bananas Vodka. (It’s a bit more complex than that, but if I go into all the fine
detail we’ll be here all day)"
Why is it important to you that product that would have been waste, is used?
"Both Pia and I come from a hospitality background. We worked with so many farmers directly, along with other chefs and bartenders that had a similar approach to food and drink. I also grew up on an orchard here in Perth and saw just how much waste their really is and the struggles that are associated with agriculture. Then there are also the sustainability benefits that go hand in hand with reducing the amount of produce that goes to landfill, along with more efficient use of resources and land needed for agriculture. So we always wanted to do something to change the status quo."
How important is it to your business to source local produce?
"More than important, it’s in our DNA. The more food miles we can reduce the lower impact we as a business (and community) can have on the environment. Transport, energy and packaging are the biggest challenges that our business faces from an environmental perspective. Sourcing local is just one way we can do that, and support our community at the same time."