Q&A with Damian Best of DedBest Distillery

Damian Best and Bob Dedman of DedBest distillery in Sussex

From singer in a band to renegade gin maker, Nick Mosley talks to Sussex distiller Damian Best of DedBest Distillery near Lewes.

Tell us a bit about yourself

My professional background is in music not distilling. I’ve worked for 20 years in the industry; singing, writing and promoting especially in and around Brighton. To make some extra money, I worked in construction on the side with my soon to-be business partner Bob Dedman. We had the crazy idea to make our own booze so DedBest distillery was born in May 2021.

What’s the ethos of the distillery?

Its simple: to produce quality artisan products that are accessible, exciting and delicious. We believe we’ve really delivered on that with all our products now award-winning.

In a competitive spirits market, what makes DedBest stand out from the crowd?

Aesthetically we made a very conscious decision to make our bottles different from those of other gin producers, particularly in Sussex. So for our Contractor’s Gin and Vodka we’ve gone for dark glass and a waxed top.

We’re not from the spirits industry so I think that has ultimately helped us create a unique range of flavourful products.

Our gin is led with hibiscus and lemongrass which is an unknown flavour profile but one that is really appreciated by gin lovers. We use Sussex oak charcoal to filter our vodka which leaves a pleasing smoky-note behind that bartenders really like to work with.

We’re particularly excited about our growing liqueur range that we launched last year. The reception on the products from both bars and consumers has been incredible. With fresh, local ingredients at their heart, they’re all proudly flavour-forward making for perfect for sipping over ice, simple mixed drinks or more complex, layered cocktails.

Our GINgerbread Liqueur is the real deal with the flavours coming from  actual gingerbread cake slabs that we steep in the spirit before filtering.

In the past couple of months, we’ve launched our Banana Rum Liqueur using rum produced by our friends at Goldstone Distillery in Sussex. We work very closely with John and Josh at Goldstone, sharing ideas and best practices – it’s like being part of a wider team and that’s really important for micro businesses such as ours.

Your annual music festival DedFest is back again in August?

Yeah, the next DedFest will be on Saturday 16 August. We’re really lucky that our distillery is based at Crockstead Farm, just to the north of Lewes, so we’re surrounded by the Sussex countryside. DedFest just seemed a natural extension of my passion for music – and local acts in particular – and good food and drink.

We’ve a line-up of 25 bands across two stages, there’ll be lots of delicious things to eat and drink, and the event is family friendly. Tickets available via ticket agency Dice FM.

Where can people enjoy DedBest spirits?

We’ve got distribution all over Sussex but bars of note that have really embraced us with cocktails include Medusa Bar and Vine Street Tap. We regularly attend food and drink festivals with a stand and you can also buy online for home delivery from our website www.dedbestdistillery.com.