Native Drops Opens an Outpost in Surry Hills – And It’s More Than a Natural-Wine Store

When Daniel Berman opened boutique wine store Native Drops on Bondi’s O’Brien Street in 2017, natural wine hadn’t yet made much of an impact on the retail-liquor sector. But even though public understanding of the wine style was underdeveloped, Native Drops thrived thanks to its stylishly moody decor and carefully curated selection of natural wines, craft beers and speciality spirits. And thanks largely to venues and independent retailers simultaneously supporting local, sustainable growers and makers, Australia’s boutique alcohol industry grew too.

Now, Berman has opened a new two-storey space on the north end of Crown Street in Surry Hills. Ella Stening (founder of female-led wine community Women In Wine, co-founder of Ten Hats Bistro and ex- Drnks employee) is manager of Native Drops Crown Street and has recently been appointed buyer for both stores. She says the plan for the Surry Hills store is to be a more holistic, experience-focused space.

According to Stening, due to the pandemic and its restrictions, people are all about embracing joy. “People have changed their consumption habits so much,” she tells Broadsheet. “They’re buying into an experience, or something that they’re really going to enjoy.”

The Surry Hills store has followed its eastern suburbs counterpart in aesthetic and energy. But alongside Native Drops’ signature range of mindfully chosen, sustainably made drinks is a creative ethos that reflects the suburb’s artistic history. As well as hand-blown glassware by local artist Anna May Kirk and a rotating exhibition of work by local artists, the Crown Street store will host workshops aimed at bridging the gap between wine and other creative fields.

Workshops will be just one part of the Native Drops Crown Street experience. A light-filled tasting room on the floor above the store will serve many purposes.

“So many people drink wine and enjoy it in so many different contexts, so we don’t want to limit the events we hold to [being] entirely wine-centric,” says Stening. “Wine will obviously be involved, but we’re going to hold documentary screenings, exhibitions, dinners, producer showcases. We want it to be a space for the community.”

Although the event side of the space is an exciting addition, the Native Drops shopping experience is reason enough to visit. Options range from non-alcoholic pet-nats to small-batch spirits, with a selection of artisan snacks also filling the shelves of the matte-black, stone-floored store.

“The booze is all from smaller producers who are … farming well and giving back to the earth and the community,” says Stening. “Ranging in style from the weird and wonderful to the traditional, there is something for every consumer in here. I am trying to be way more discerning with my purchasing practice, so alongside sustainable farming I am making sure that I buy from good people, [looking at] sustainability from every angle – economic, cultural, social.”

Ask an approachable team member about the flavour profile of a certain bottle, and you’ll also learn what food to eat it with and maybe even an exhibition you should go and see the following day.

“We don’t want to hire wine people, we want to hire people who love wine but who have other interests that intersect with that – to us, creating a platform for our community is so much more valuable than just selling booze,” says Stening.

Native Drops Surry Hills
479 Crown Street, Surry Hills
(02) 9349 2971

Hours:
Mon & Tue 12pm–8pm
Wed to Sat 10am–9pm
Sun 10am–6pm

nativedrops.com.au