Odd Culture, a first of its kind wild ale and natural wine bar, has opened in Darlinghurst.
Located on the second level of The Taphouse in Darlinghurst, Odd Culture offers a rotating menu of twenty beers on tap, twelve wines, and the largest bottle list of wild ales and sour beers in Australia.
Owners and brothers James and Josh Thorpe purchased The Taphouse in 2017 and wanted to further harness their strong passion for the wild ale and natural wine movement by reinventing the middle-level of the pub and creating a space with a serious, yet accessible drink offering.
The venue takes its inspiration from beer and wine farmhouses. The walls carry a strong distressed finish made from peeling back the existing paint, revealing layers of stunning colours travelling from deep blue, red and purple at one end of the room to a lighter, antique-type finish at the bar. Above the bar sits a stunning mural that frames the bar, designed by Angeline Drinan (Head of Scenic Art at Opera Australia), hand painted from the perception of an unnamed farmer looking out from their farmhouse to a view of the crop field of hops and malt grown on the farm.
The drinks list at Odd Culture is a collaboration between bar manager Jordan Blackman (ex Chin Chin, Ananas) who brings with him a strong and dedicated natural wine background, and venue beverage manager, Tom Evans (ex Royal Albert, Wayward), known as one of most knowledgeable ‘beer nerds’ in Sydney. The list focuses on a diverse range of local and international wild ales that have been naturally soured from wild fermentation rather than through a controlled sterile process, and natural and sustainable wines produced with minimal intervention. The constantly rotating selection of twenty beers and twelve natural wines on tap is complemented by a 100-strong wild bottle beer list, the largest selection in the country.
Gracing the taps first are the likes of Wildflower Brewing and Blending’s ‘St. Thomas’ (a wild ale re-fermented with cherries), Belgian brewer Rodenbach’s ‘Alexander’ Flanders Red Ale, Boatrocker Brewers ‘Double Barrel Aged Brett’ Berliner Weisse, La Sirène Brewing’s ‘Saisonette’, Two Metre Tall’s ‘Wild Cider’ and Garage Project’s ‘Dinky Pinky Rhubarb & Strawberry Barrel Aged Sour’.
Wines are poured by the glass to encourage guests to try something new every time they return to the bar. Cocktails also feature on the list with the signature cocktail, the ‘Sour Negroni’ made using homemade Rodenbach vermouth with citric and malic acids. Local craft sodas supplied by PS40.
The food menu features natural cheeses, cured meats and tinned seafood, where guests can build their own mixed plate. Think taleggio, gorgonzola picante, Maffra cheddar and Barossa wash rind Reblochon, alongside tins of squid in ink, octopus, and sardines by Spanish artisan Luis Escuris Batalla, and Quattro Stelle cured meats sliced to order like wagyu belosa, prosciutto, fennel and garlic salami, and ‘nduja tartufo truffle. The Taphouse’s Head Chef, Rob Paget, has also created a short menu for the bar with a selection of snacks and burgers, most notably featuring ‘The Toastie’ with ‘nduja salumi and cheddar reverse toasted on thick sourdough.
Odd Culture will host a fortnightly educational ‘meet the winemaker/brewer’ program, to showcase a wide range of brands and encourage organic conversation about the natural movement.
Odd Culture
Level 2, The Taphouse
122 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst
Hours: Monday- Wednesday: 5pm-midnight; Thursday: 5pm-1am; Friday-Saturday: 12pm-1am; Sunday: 12pm-11pm
Photo Credit: Supplied
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