No menu, no standing, no worries: the drinks at this tiny, 12-seat cocktail bar aren’t just made to order, they’re made to measure.
“Not for everyone” is how Bar Peripheral describes itself on its Instagram bio. That may be true, because if you want to enter this under-the-radar, tiny cocktail bar there’s a few rules you have to follow. Behind the unassuming black door (knock and wait to be greeted) is a dark and narrow room with a 12-metre jarrah bar flanked by 12 chairs. It might be the smallest bar in Adelaide, if only for the number of people it seats.
The dimly lit drinking den is a tightly controlled environment: there’s no standing (even before COVID came along) and no menu, and the front window is blocked by blinds to prevent outside light or distraction. Downlights illuminate small circular areas along the bartop where your drinks will be shaken, stirred and served in front of you, so there’s no confusion about where your focus is being directed.
Once you take a seat, you’ll receive a hot towel to wash your hands. This practice, known as oshibori, has long been part of Japan’s hospitality culture, and it’s the customs of Japan’s drinks scene that inform much of the Bar Peripheral experience. Then out comes a complimentary chicken broth – another deliciously warm gesture of hospitality.
In short, this is not your average cocktail bar.
From the space to the service to the cool jazz playing, the Bar Peripheral experience is like no other in Adelaide. There’s a quiet, old-school sense of sophistication that transports you to another time and place. You could be in Tokyo’s vibrant Ginza district, in old Manhattan or in present-day South Korea, where co-owner and (sole) bartender Vini Wang grew up. Either way it feels a world away from the nightlife of Adelaide’s east and west ends.
Before you order your drink, Suji Jeong, co-owner and Wang’s wife, presents you with a 13-chapter document (not a menu) that details the bar’s ethos plus classic cocktail formulas (sours, say, or slings) and their histories. Read it front to back or close it and jump straight into the deep end. Either way, Wang will gauge your tastes and preferences to make a bespoke cocktail for your palate. After this writer gives him a couple of vague directives, he chooses a New York Sour (much like a regular Whiskey Sour but with a float of red wine) and, later, a Jasmine (a sour, gently bittersweet cocktail of gin, Campari and Cointreau that tastes just like grapefruit). Tick and tick.
Some of the drinks come served in super-thin, lightweight Kimura glassware, which is imported from Tokyo. It’s obvious every element has been thoughtfully considered, not least the premium clear ice, which is made and cut by hand in-house. It’s why you’ll see Adelaide’s hospitality community – particularly bartenders and bar owners – regularly filling the seats of the intimate establishment.
