First Edition

The cocktail menu at First Edition is organized around the six "root" families laid out in Cocktail Codex, the James Beard Award-winning reference text that has become a foundational document for serious bartenders. That structural choice signals something about the bar's intentions: this is a program built on method, not novelty, even if the surrounding environment leans hard into comic-book iconography and graphic-novel aesthetics. The 4,000-square-foot space across multiple floors in Uptown Oakland runs with its theme without apology. Slanty walls, soaring ceilings, black-paneled interiors, and villain-leaning artwork fill the mezzanines and rooftop patio. The visual language is deliberate and consistent rather than decorative afterthought, which separates First Edition from bars that treat theming as a marketing layer over an otherwise generic room. Owners Cory Hunt and Javier Ortiz, who also operate Jackalope in San Francisco, brought in Napier Bulanan to lead the beverage program. The menu moves through classic-twist drinks and house originals alongside low-ABV and nonalcoholic options, which have become a meaningful part of any serious cocktail list in this era. Food comes via a partnership with Xolo Taqueria, with tacos and burritos available as the kitchen component, keeping the offering focused rather than overextended. Uptown Oakland's Broadway corridor has developed steadily as a nightlife address, and First Edition occupies a specific position within it: mid-range pricing (cocktails generally in the $10–$15 range) combined with a program that references serious bartending literature. That combination makes it accessible without being casual about the craft. For anyone spending an evening in the neighborhood, the rooftop alone justifies the stop before the drinks even arrive.

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