St. Petersburg Distillery Debuts Public Speakeasy, Moonshiners Tour

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — St. Petersburg Distillery has opened 31 South, a 45-seat speakeasy, inside its working distillery at 800 31st Street South.

The second-floor lounge, overlooking the production-room floor, opened to the public May 1 and now welcomes guests Thursday through Saturday from 6 to 11 p.m., according to the distillery.

The speakeasy previously was only used as a tasting room at the end of the daytime tours and was also available for private events, Evan Brownstein, CEO, told Patch. “This is the first time that it's been open to the public.”

After operating in St. Petersburg for about 12 years, the distillery’s team wanted to create more opportunities for people to gather there.

The idea for the public speakeasy took shape in the months after Browntstein joined the organization in October.

The room, which overlooks the distillery’s copper pot still production area, is tucked away, and its hidden location helped shape the concept, he said. And it was a natural fit to tie the speakeasy in with St. Petersburg history.

“We said, hey, because it's hidden up there, let's make it a speakeasy, and also, let's embrace St. Petersburg. The moonshiner legacy, the bootlegger legacy, the rum runner legacy,” Brownstein said. “So, that’s what we did.”

That theme also led to a new nighttime tour, the Moonshiners Tour. The distillery collaborated with Rui Farias, executive director and curator at the St. Petersburg Museum of History, to develop a moonshiners tour focused on the history of bootlegging in St. Petersburg.

“We learned that St. Petersburg does have a great rum runner history, because, of course, we're right on the Gulf of Mexico,” Brownstein said.

The distillery is also partnering on food with Chef Jonathan Rodriguez, who has national experience at Michelin-rated venues.

Rodriguez has developed a menu of “speakeasy bites,” according to Brownstein.

The speakeasy’s cocktail program features a curated menu of drinks created with St. Petersburg Distillery’s premium, handcrafted spirits, including the matcha latte martini with Banyan Reserve Vodka, the hibiscus gimlet with Old St. Pete Tropical Gin, the Mai Tai with Old St. Pete Righteous Rum & Spice and Tippler’s Orange Liqueur, the maple old-fashioned with Old St. Pete Sunshine Whiskey, and a specialty espresso martini. Tastings of the distillery’s spirits are also available.

Other public areas of the distillery, including the Welcome Salon downstairs and the outdoor Spirits Garden, remain in use during the day for those stopping by for a drink or visiting for a tour, as well as other special events.

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