St. Pete distillery opens 'secret' speakeasy inside working distillery

St. Petersburg Distillery — Florida’s largest distillery by size and volume — has opened a new after-hours concept in its Warehouse Arts District home. 

The local spirits company recently opened a new 45-seat speakeasy inside a hidden room above the production floor of its industrial warehouse, at 800 31st Street South, where guests typically end their tours. The secluded, second-floor bar debuted May 1 and is open Thursday through Saturday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. 

The hidden lounge, 31 South Speakeasy, overlooks the distillery floor where the family-owned operation distills whiskey, vodka, gin, rum and liqueurs from local ingredients in casks and copper stills.

“During the day, St. Petersburg Distillery is a place where guests can experience the spirit of St. Pete in our Spirits Garden, Welcome Salon, and tour Florida’s top craft distillery,” Evan Brownstein, CEO of St. Petersburg Distillery, says in a release. “Now, at night, guests can discover a whole new experience, a place true to St. Petersburg’s elegant bootlegger spirit in a convivial club-like social setting.”

Inspired by the elegance of the 1920s, the intimate space blends rich Art Deco interiors with vintage glassware and a refined atmosphere that draws on the spirit of the Prohibition era, the release says. With a palette of deep greens and blues, warm wood finishes and golden accents, the speakeasy is outfitted with locally-sourced furnishings and historic photographs. 

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St. Petersburg Distillery’s spirits include a Matcha Latte Martini with Banyan Reserve Vodka; Hibiscus Gimlet with Old St. Pete Tropical Gin; Mai Tai with Old St. Pete Righteous Rum & Spice and Tippler’s Orange Liqueur; Maple Old Fashioned with Old St. Pete Sunshine Whiskey; and a specialty Espresso Martini. 

Guests can also enjoy four- or six-flight tastings of the distillery’s spirits, the release says.

A food menu is curated by Chef Johnathan Rodriguez, formerly of Tampa’s Sal Y Mar, who has won such accolades as the ‘‘Best Chef Award’ at the Savor St. Pete Food & Wine Festival in both 2022 and 2023, as well as recognitions from Taste of Clearwater and the “Chef Inspired Award.”

Founded in 2014, St. Petersburg distillery continues to offer daytime tours and tastings as well as a calendar of community events like its monthly Makers + Shakers Market.

Guests interested in experiencing the new 31 South Speakeasy should check the lounge’s Instagram page @31southspeakeasy for details like the day’s password.