Seeking Saké Sippers in South FL

OK I know a lot of people who love sushi. Ya think? And there are loads of wine enthusiasts in South Florida – just ask Matt Horbund (@mmwine) But I rarely run across people who are serious devotees of saké. Why not?

Is saké appreciation limited to cold-weather places and nobody told me? Is there some certain number of Japanese residents required before a place acquires that critical mass needed for saké to mainstream? Is there some sushi threshold we have not quite passed in order to become a saké haven? I want to know.

So I went and scheduled a sake tasting event in Miami. Yep. Huge, overwhelming response (cough, cough) from a handful of hardcores. You know them, the stubborn ones at the end of the table ordering saké while the rest of the crowd drinks green tea and talks about dessert. I keep hearing from the “rest of the crowd” about how they want a “regular sushi event”, not saké.

Anyway I’m not hedging; I refuse to pander to the masses like a common politician. If this event has ten people, it’ll be a happy ten, and we’ll have serious fun while learning and sampling more than we could at a larger affair. Kampai.