Local Edition
San Francisco, CA
Year opened 2012
Owners Future Bars, aka Doug Dalton and Brian Sheehy
Distinguishing features Located in the basement of the Hearst building, where the San Francisco Examiner was published, it’s filled with old typewriters, printing presses, and the front pages of local newspapers from historic events, like the US declaration of war in 1941, the completion of the Golden Gate Bridge, and Nixon’s resignation. The building was damaged in the 1906 earthquake, and the next day three local papers came together to publish a single issue. A copy signed by the collaborators is on display near the bar’s entrance.
Who drinks here Proximity to both the financial district and the startup-heavy South of Market neighborhood makes it a happy-hour destination for young, well-heeled tech types. But journalists can be found here, too–the Center for Investigative Reporting celebrated its award-winning “Broken Shield” series (which exposed police abuse and corruption) at Local Edition, and left the George Polk Award plaque behind for the bar to display.
Signature drink Like its sister bars, Local Edition is famous for craft cocktails. But most every drink here is a shout out to a Hearst publishing tradition, like the eponymous Local Edition, a twist on the Old Fashioned, with orange-peel syrup and cherry-infused bitters.
On the record All the tables and countertops in the bar are made of leftover Italian marble from Hearst Castle, and the projector in the corner belonged to William Randolph
Off the record A tunnel connects Local Edition to Cask, Future Bars’ artisanal liquor store next door. The passageway is currently off limits, but Dalton and Sheehy say they may open it to customers in the future.
Nathan Hurst is a San Francisco-based freelancer