New project alert! Damaged Goods Distilling Co is the brainchild of Tim Laferla and Pia Papenfuss, a bartender and chef duo out in WA’s Swan Valley closing the loop with a pair of close-to-zero-waste spirits fashioned from imperfect and spent produce.
Their Final Squeeze Citrus Gin is juicy as all get-out, distilled with discarded lemon, lime, grapefruit and orange husks collected from local juice companies within 24 hours of juicing. It’s sunny and super high-toned with some native undertones, care of cinnamon myrtle, macadamia, Geraldton wax and pepper berry. Make it a wet Martini with a twist, please…
The Smashed Apple Aperitivo ticks that fun, frisky party-starter box, made with leftover pulp from Funk Cider, a short drive down the road from the distillery. Half that pulp is steeped in gin and distilled with strawberry gum to form the base spirit, while the other half is mixed with sugar and water for dilution. To finish, a splash of local grenache is added, along with the botanicals…et voilà, you’ve got a bittersweet palate-primer that’s perfect in a Spritz, over ice with some sparkling wine or even better topped up with cider (hint, hint…)