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Noah Sain at the CL TV studio in Tampa, Florida on Sept. 17, 2026. Credit: Jarrett Haas\/Palm Tree Content for \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay\/CLTV<\/p>\nNoah Sain at the CL TV studio in Tampa, Florida on Sept. 17, 2026. Credit: Jarrett Haas\/Palm Tree Content for \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay\/CLTV<\/p>\n
For the last five years at In Between Days<\/a>, Noah Sain has spent his nights turning people into sake nerds\u2014or, at the very least, appreciators. A wellspring of knowledge, the 27-year-old is a veteran of the St. Petersburg hospitality scene who\u2019s been working in the area since 2012. He\u2019s also a certified sake sommelier and sake educator, who\u2019s traveled to Japan to be immersed in the craft.<\/p>\n \u201cSake is just as expansive as wine, and the flavor profiles can reach anywhere from wine-like acid fruity notes to a really deep, rich whiskey-like state that\u2019s complex and higher alcohol,\u201d he told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay during a CLTV taping.<\/p>\n Next Thursday, together with the Morean Center for Clay<\/a>, Sain stages Sake Bock, perhaps the nation\u2019s first-ever sake and ceramic festival.<\/p>\n Sain added that he wanted the festival to be appealing to people who simply don\u2019t drink anymore, so there\u2019s a live jazz band, a DJ to pay homage to In Between Days\u2019 listening room vibe, and even gyotaku fish printing. And since folks drink sake out of ceramic, tin and glass, there will also be live pottery firing.<\/p>\n \u201cJust like sake in Japan, ceramics is also regional, and there\u2019s a terroir to it. You could say sake is very localized, and you\u2019re going to have breweries in small towns all throughout Japan, and they drink from their local brewery,\u201d Sain said. \u201cBased on what they\u2019re drinking, they might choose a certain type of cup based on the materials that are local and what they think pairs best with it.\u201d<\/p>\n Sain said some of his sake brewer friends from Japan will be among the 10 sake vendors in St. Petersburg on Oct. 1 so that attendees can massage their curiosities, too. \u201cI love asking questions, it\u2019s one of my favorite things.\u00a0 If anyone loves learning and wants to try something new or learn something new, it\u2019s a great place to do it,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n The festival\u2014happening on World Sake Day, which marks the start of the brewing season\u2014includes an early-admission VIP tasting, plus five hours of tasting for everyone else. General admission tickets include 10-sake passports and access to a bottle shop with discounted prices. \u201cThe idea really is to be able to try at least 10 different sakes and go home with a bottle or two that you can then share with your friends or bring to a dinner party,\u201d Sain added.<\/p>\n And yes, you can get lubricated at Sake Block, too.<\/p>\n Sain, who\u2019s done his fair share of drinking after working in restaurants his entire adult life, says a sake buzz is the best kind.<\/p>\n \u201cI find now that sake is definitely my favorite way to consume alcohol. It\u2019s the healthiest way to consume alcohol,\u201d he said, noting that the simple ingredient list (rice, water, koji, yeast) means it\u2019s cleaner than so many other things that go into our body. \u201cYou wake up the next morning feeling like you\u2019re ready for another bottle of sake instead of I\u2019m never drinking again.\u201d<\/p>\n At the end of the day, Sain, who hosts monthly sake clubs, is mostly trying to share another kind of warmth with his hometown.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s just kindness and respect. Everyone\u2019s really nice,\u201d Sain said about the sake scene. \u201cThe cool thing about the sake community is it\u2019s not really gatekept at all.\u201d<\/p>\n Tickets to Sake Block: A Festival of Sake and Ceramics happening Thursday, Oct. 1 at Morean Center for Clay in St. Petersburg are still available for $80 & up.<\/a><\/p>\n More food & drink events happening across Tampa Bay Sept. 24-Oct. 1<\/p>\n Barks and Brews Friday, Sept. 25. 6 p.m. Bayboro Brewing Co., St. Petersburg. friendsofstrays.org<\/a><\/p>\n Cigar Night at Southshore Bay Lagoon<\/a> Friday, Sept. 25. 7 p.m. $5. Southshore Bay Lagoon, Wimauma<\/p>\n Beginner\u2019s Sourdough Workshop Saturday, Sept. 26. 11 a.m. No cover with registration. New Tampa Regional Library, Tampa<\/p>\n Afternoon High Tea Sunday, Sept. 27. 1 p.m. $85. Lilac at Tampa Edition, Tampa. editionhotels.com<\/a><\/p>\n Cocquito Pop-Up Sunday, Sept. 27. 8 a.m. No cover. Lara, Ybor City. tampalara.com<\/a><\/p>\n Her Pour: Wine & Spirits Showcase Sunday, Sept. 27. 12 p.m. $99 & up. Cipresso at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa<\/p>\n Heritage Recipe Swap Monday, Sept. 28. 6 p.m. No cover. Centro Asturiano de Tampa, Tampa. centroasturianotampa.org<\/a><\/p>\n Omakase Dinner<\/a> Tuesday, Sept. 29. 5:30 p.m. $150. Ro, Hyde Park<\/p>\n 26th Annual Oktobeerfest Thursday-Sunday, Oct. 1-4. 7 p.m. No cover. Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin. dunedinbrewery.com<\/a><\/p>\n Savor the Bay: A Chef\u2019s Table Pairing Dinner<\/a> Thursday, Oct. 1. 6:30 p.m. $95 & up. Birch and Vine, St. Petersburg. thebirchwood.com<\/a><\/p>\n