ST. PETERSBURG — To celebrate World Sake Day, Sake Block will be presented on Thursday, Oct. 1, 6 to 11 p.m., at the Morean Center for Clay, in the Warehouse Arts District at 420 22nd St. S., St. Petersburg.
Sake Block is a sake tasting festival celebrating the craftsmanship, traditions, and community surrounding Japanese sake. Attendees will taste 10 curated craft sakes with Noah Sain, Florida’s one-and-only certified sake sommelier.
General admission tastings run $80 for a “Sake Passport” with your choice of 10 tastings from participating vendors. Visit MoreanArtsCenter.org/Sake for more information.
The event brings together premium sake producers, ceramic artists, chefs, musicians, and makers. Guests can explore a curated selection of sake from some of the country’s leading importers, breweries, and distributors while meeting the people behind each bottle — including a few visiting Japanese brewers and industry professionals. Throughout the evening, attendees are invited to browse a marketplace of vinyl record vendors and ceramic artist booths, enjoy local food pop-ups, purchase bottles to take home, and experience live music that evolves from an intimate jazz trio to an energetic DJ set, inspired by Japanese listening bars.
For those looking to dive deeper, optional workshops offer a hands-on introduction to Japanese culture through a Private Sake 101 Tasting, Raku Pottery Firing, and Gyotaku Fish Printing, creating opportunities to learn, create, and connect beyond the tasting.
Founded by Noah Sain, beverage director at In Between Days and the lead sake educator for the state of Florida through the Sake Sommelier Association, Sake Block was created to make sake more approachable while celebrating the craftsmanship that connects food, art, music, and community.
“Whether you’re discovering sake for the first time or have been enjoying it for years, Sake Block invites you to slow down, explore, and experience Japanese craftsmanship in a welcoming and engaging setting,” said Sain.
Housed in a historic freight train depot in St. Petersburg’s vibrant Warehouse Arts District, the Morean Center for Clay is the largest pottery studio in the Southeast, and one of the largest in the United States. It is one of four venues operated by the Morean Arts Center, a cornerstone of the region’s cultural landscape dedicated to connecting people with art. Home to more than 50 ceramic artist studios, the Center for Clay supports the creation of both functional and sculptural ceramic art, reflecting the Morean’s mission to foster creativity, accessibility, and community engagement through the arts.