Photos by Gabriel Radley
Location and Hours:300 W. Camelback Road
Phoenix, AZ 85013
Monday-Saturday 9 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Star Rating (0 – 4): ★★★½
Recommended: Madness and Cures, Firestone Walker Velvet Merlin, toddy
Changing Hands Bookstore is an Arizona institution known nationally for its commitment to local and fair business practices and excellent events. But can its coffee, beer and wine shop First Draft Book Bar reach the same success?
Resting inside The Newton on the corner of Third Avenue and Camelback Road, First Draft fits well in the repurposed space, adding another dimension to the combination of restaurant Southern Rail and the new Changing Hands Bookstore, two of the building’s anchor tenants. While meant to be part of Changing Hands, one isn’t required to look at books just to visit the bar.
The bar itself is comfortable and solid, and it also lacks the intimidation factor that one might find in a more traditional bar setting.
Wine and beer will likely be the stars of First Draft’s menu, but the coffee portion holds its own. In addition to hot coffee and toddy, they offer a standard selection of espresso beverages and teas.
A friend and I agreed that the iced chai ($4.50) was above average in the Phoenix scene, having a nice layer of spice after the milkiness washed in. The chocolate-chip muffin ($3) we tried alongside it, however, was definitely on the dry side — edible, but too dry to enjoy any flavors that might be lurking in there.
The toddy ($3) received good marks, again placing it in the “above average” category, and paired well with a triple-chocolate brownie ($2), which was miles better than the muffin but still not top notch.
While not a place to grab coffee on the way into work, if you have a few minutes to sit and read the paper or curl up with a book and cup of caffeinated beverage, First Draft is a solid if not spectacular choice.
Alcohol and literature are a natural combination, too, and trust me, I spend a significant amount of time alone at bars reading works of fiction and philosophy.
These bars are often poorly lit and modestly sad, with the bottles behind the counter reflecting a landscape of faces that likely do not care about my analysis declaring the Roberto Bolano classic “Antwerp” one of the greatest crime novels of all time.
OK, maybe no one cares about that. However, if someone were to care, the chances are I would find them sitting at the First Draft bar enjoying a glass of expertly curated wine and beer. In each of my four visits I had an excellent drink served with a shot of intelligent (or at least amusing) conversation.
The phenomenally full-bodied and berry-rich glass of Madness and Cures ($10) paired perfectly with the celebratory feeling of the grand opening and the many conversations that accompanied the event. The early-evening conversation about the rise of e-books and future of physical books was much better suited to the light citrus of the San Tan Hefeweizen ($5).
The Firestone Walker Velvet Merlin ($5), an oatmeal stout that is equal parts intense and smooth, was a perfect nightcap to a Saturday night chance encounter with friends. The stale pretzel ($5) that accompanied the stout was the singular disappointment of my time at First Draft, but even that was not unbearable once the bread was covered in the saving grace of red-pepper hummus.
The last occasion featured the red Scarpetta ($12), which in addition to a book recommendation, came with a history of the wine’s name. The “booktender” described a scarpetta as the last piece of bread used to soak up the saucy goodness at the end of a meal. This serves as an appropriate image for my experience that night. While I sipped away at the wine, conversation about everything from wine to books to the singularity swirled around and soaked in, leaving a tart but pleasant finish that let me know I will come back for more.
First Draft is not a revolutionary idea — caffeine, alcohol and books have been mixing in creative circles and spaces since the beginning of human thought. What First Draft does well, however, is mix these in such a way to create a positive space that increases people’s ability to interact with the entire Newton community space.
While the food was nothing to write home about, it gets the job done and the entire experience is emboldened by good coffee and a beautifully selected wine and beer selection.
First Draft is bound to become a community institution and a source of innumerable propinquitous encounters. While they will continue to dish out food and drink, the true meaning of First Draft will be realized by the words that come out of the mouths of the customers, not the wine that goes in.
Contact the reporter at gabriel.radley@asu.edu
