Close to three years in the making, Spon – a hybrid bar and bottle shop inspired by funky spots in Melbourne – is now open in Newtown.
The cool new boozer is by the Odd Culture Group (proprieters of Odd Culture Newtown, the Duke of Enmore, the Old Fitzroy Hotel and Odd Culture Fitzroy), who wanted to create a place where punters could pop in and try rare, funky and eclectic vinos by the glass or bottle at an accessible price point – and enjoy right there.
Every day, Spon will feature 12 new wines, ales and ciders to try, with two of them chosen by the team, and the rest is up to you. So if you see a bottle that you want to try, you can. How good.
To pair with your drops, Spon will have snacks on offer from Odd Culture Newtown. Expect to find things like Spanish yellowfin tuna with capers and potato chips; charcuterie with LP’s saucisson; ‘nduja and terrine; cheeses, beer bread with ‘odd cultured’ butter, and more.
Until recently, legislation in NSW did not allow for bottle shops and bars to be in the one spot. Thankfully, we’re now seeing a shift, with the likes of wine bar and bottle shop Famelia also opening up in Newtown recently.
Odd Culture’s group beverage manager Jordan Blackman said: “The concept lends itself to being able to open some really cool, rare and exciting stuff that wouldn't normally make it on by-the-glass lists in your standard bars or restaurants.”
If you’re wondering about the name – Spon is short for “spontaneous fermentation”, a theme the Odd Culture Group pride themselves on.
To celebrate the launch, Spon will be pouring $6 glasses of pét-nat, orange, or chilled red wine for the rest of August and all of September, plus half-price corkage.
Interesting, delicious and fun wines that won’t break the bank? Sign us up.
