3 minute read
Bar Hop
BAR HOP - Strange Company
By Sloane Carvell (@crumbs_and_corks)
No stranger to good times
Strange Company
Fremantle’s Strange Company isn’t much of a stranger these days. It’s been around since 2015 and has carved a niche for itself as a popular weekend spot. If it’s a stranger to you though you’ll find a small wine and cocktail bar with a big reputation and another bonus: it’s open every day from noon to midnight because let’s face it, it can be a struggle to find a good drinking hole on Sundays in Perth. It also offers tapas-style food with a fabulous drinks list.
I pop in on a Sunday afternoon with the bestie for drinks in the afternoon sun. The wine list is fresh and has a strong focus on some of Australia’s best wine regions including those on Fremantle’s doorstep, from the Great Southern, Margaret River and the Swan Valley. It includes wines made conventionally as well as wines for those that want to challenge their palate with skin contact or textural wines made in non-traditional winemaking methods. For the beer drinker, there are guest beers on tap. The wine and cocktail list created by bar manager Elise Godwin, and is
Sloane's negroni was just the ticket.
carefully categorised to define how adventurous you want to be in your choices. The bar staff are always willing to help you make a choice should you remain baffled. There are also some wines that are limited to a focus board above the bar and it’s from this that we select the Corymbia 2018 Chenin, a wine with beautiful pear notes and textural acidity. It’s the ideal match for sunshine drinking.
Sunday afternoons at Strange Company have the added bonus of live jazz and blues and, buoyed by this jolly atmosphere, we decide to order from the tapas menu some half-shell scallops with lemon myrtle, Duroc 18-month Serrano ham from the charcuterie list which comes with cornichons (that’s miniature gherkins to you and me), and bread to share. There’s also some lovely Cambray cheese from Nannup and some French Petit Agour served with bread, apple and some fruit paste. We settle in for the afternoon and catch up, with wine, good food and music. The vibe is very friendly and relaxed and as always in neighbourhood bars, we end up chatting with those seated around us in the sun.
If you were visiting our sunny state on travels alone you would easily find a friend to talk to here, and if not, the friendly bar staff will no doubt oblige. The cocktail list contains about 12 cocktails and changes according to the seasons; they too are helpfully categorised – Spritzy, Fruit, Sour, Fresh and Bittersweet making the list approachable for everyone. I love a negroni and find them so refreshing on a warm day. The bartender offers to make one not on the list using barrel-aged Giniversity Gin, Cynar and vermouth and it is perfect, the variation of the Cynar (of which the main ingredient is artichoke) removes some of the sweet edge that Campari can give and makes it very earthy.
Verdict:
The bar staff are just lovely.
A visit to STRANGE COMPANY may result in some of the best non-strange company you will find south of Perth. Check their Facebook for events like Strangetastes (free tasting events), Strangetables (wine/ cocktail and meal), and Strange Editions (book club and drinks) Open: Midday to Midnight, 7 days a week Price: Cocktails start around $18, Wines: $10 a glass. Bites from $4 to $35.
STRANGE COMPANY, Nairn Street, Fremantle - visit strangecompany.com.au
