CRAFT BEER - CRAFTING A BRAND NEW OFFER

Crafting a brand new offer

Wild fermentation will be a key feature of Odd Culture Group’s latest venture based on King Street in Sydney’s Newtown.

A NEW hybrid space in Newtown, Sydney, is the biggest project yet for Odd Culture Group and has been in the works since late 2020.

Odd Culture Newtown is a unique concept born out of a management trip to Europe pre-Covid, according to Odd Culture Group GMJames Thorpe.

“Not really a bar, not really a fine dining restaurant, not really a craft beer venue, not really a cocktail bar, not really a natural winebar… we don’t really know how to categorise it, but there is really nothing like it anywhere else in the world, he says.”

It’s also the first new development on KingStreet allowed to trade all night until 2am, with its doors opening again from 7am.

The drink offering has a strong focus on wild fermentation and will include a rotating tap list of 12 in the bar, leaning heavily on sours, farmhouse, and lambic, as well as a wide range of organic and biodynamic wine, natural cider, and sake.

Located just a few doors up, the Odd CultureNewtown bottle shop will be an extension of the main bar, offering a range of fermented beverages, as well as condiments including pickles, vinegars, shrubs, and hot sauces from local producers including Condimental, Ziggy’sand Angie’s Food.

Head chef Jesse Warkentin (ex-Continental Deli) and sous chef Caleb Venner (ex-Continental Deli) will both work alongside Odd Culture Group’s executive chef James MacDonald (ex-Huberthead chef). The food menu is an amalgamation of MacDonald’s and Warkentin’s backgrounds working to an overarching fermentation theme.

An online delivery service will also be on offer, with delivery in 30 minutes for the local area.

According to Jordan Blackman, Odd Culture group beverage manager, Odd Culture Newtown is the group’s flagship venue and is on a mission to explore fermentation – particularly wild fermentation.

“More than just a mass accumulation of anything sour, we have spent the past year curating an offering of like-minded producers who best represent our philosophy,” he says.

“We look for an expression of terroir, something that speaks of time, place, and the people that created it. I think this extends well beyond beer with more conscious consumers who are interested in more than just a product, but a story.”

BREWS TO WATCH

Craft beer tastes may be evolving, but IPA is still king when it comes to the preferences of Odd Culture patrons, according to Jordan Blackman, Odd Culture group beverage manager.

“There is a much better understanding of hopforward beers now with a focus on fresh and local. Australian breweries have really stepped it up in the IPA field and now easily stand up to the previously untouchable Americans.”

Sours continue to gain popularity, Blackman says, with demand extending beyond the regular beer drinker, particularly with the more approachable, fruited sours.

“Not to mention our warm climate lends itself to anything and everything farmhouse, gose and the like - ultimate refreshment for all.”

Blackman also points to low-alcohol and nonalcoholic beers as a growing trend.

“It’s great to see zeroalcohol beers being treated with the same respect as their boozy counterparts, now a viable option on a night out because they actually taste good.

“Many craft breweries now have a mid-strength in their core range. It’s great to see such a positive trend in the industry and I think our bodies will thank us for it.”