Florida’s first – and only – craft sake house is making waves yet again. St. Pete’s In Between Days, which is home to the state’s biggest sake collection, now has the area’s only sake sommelier working in-house.
Noah Sain, the beverage director at In Between Days, recently earned his sake sommelier certification as part of his devotion to the craft. Sain has been with the listening room for two and a half years, and his love for the spirit has helped guide In Between Days as it develops what experts consider to certainly be the largest sake collection in Florida, and possibly the biggest on the entire east coast of the U.S.
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Developed thousands of years ago, sake is a Japanese rice wine made by fermenting rice, and brewed in a style akin to that of brewing beer. There are thousands of varieties of sake, meant to be served in different ways, either warm, cold, or at room temperature, and sake is also often used to make cocktails.
As one of the first Tokyo-style listening bars in the country, In Between Days occupies a unique space in St. Pete and the world of sake. Given its intentionally low-key vibe, it remains something of a hidden gem in its home city, while also being one of the best bars of its kind in the entire country.
In fact, owner Zach Ashton says, people come from all over the state and country just to visit and experience the collection of sake, which regularly includes bottles that are nearly impossible to find elsewhere. While sake enthusiasts know what In Between Days has to offer, Ashton and Sain are at the forefront of teaching local newcomers about the expansive world of the Japanese specialty.
“If you let it happen, you can easily fall in love with sake,” Sain said. “The flavor range can be so vast, so there’s something for everybody. You just have to be a little open-minded and let it work its magic.”
“We’re trying to change the mentality,” Ashton added. “There’s a whole other world to get familiar with.”
Sake is a rising star in world of spirits
Indeed, many people’s only experience with sake is purely with hot sake or perhaps even sake bombs. In many ways, that’s akin to a wine drinker who’s only had vino out of a cardboard box (no offense to Franzia, of course).
But in much the same way that bourbon saw a boom years ago, sake is beginning to have a renaissance of its own, albeit not yet on the levels of the current bourbon craze. Many upscale steakhouses are beginning to offer sake pairings, and thanks to its wide palate range, sake can often provide a higher number of curated pairings for individual dishes and flavors.
For those who are new to sake – or have only had the lower quality wares – In Between Days is the perfect place to become acquainted with the brewed delight. In addition to the many varieties of sake and sake cocktails, the staff is among the most informed on the subject anywhere, and Sain can regularly be seen stopping by tables for tastings and making recommendations from behind the bar.
St. Pete is certainly a city built on culture and creativity, and In Between Days shines as a spirited example of what can be done when passionate people are allowed room to grow. In Between Days is located at 2340 1st Avenue South, and opens at 5 pm Wednesday-Sunday. Follow them on Instagram for more.
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