This October 1 on National Sake Day, skip the sake bombs and instead head to the Lower East Side’s izayaka and sake lounge, SakaMai, for an educational sake event, with opportunities to test (or develop) your sake tasting knowledge (for prizes!) and the chance to sip some premium sakes, rarely poured by the glass, for one night only.

National Sake Day happens to fall on a Monday night this year, the day of the week when SakaMai usually holds its ongoing Soul of Sake gathering hosted by the inaugural Miss Sake USA, Jessica Joly. As such, SakaMai will hold its first-ever blind tasting Soul of Sake from 6 - 8pm.

For the blind tasting, guests will have the opportunity to taste three curated flights of sake ($16 for 3 glasses) from different regions of Japan: a North Japan Flight (Hokkaidō and Tohōku regions), a Central Japan Flight (Kantō and Chūbu regions) and a South Japan Flight (Chūgoku, Shikoku, and Kyūshū regions).

As a guide, guests will be provided a tasting grid to assist them in guessing the region and prefecture of the flight — in hopes a winning special prizes, exclusively for National Sake Day.

Also for this one night only, premium bottles of sake will also available to everyone at a special discounted rate and poured by SakaMai’s staff, more than half of whom hold expert sake professional certifications.

Premium sakes available by the bottle (one night only!):

• Katsuyama Akatsuki Junmai Daiginjo - $25

• Sake Revolutions Junmai Daiginjo - $18

• Daishichi Minowamon Kimoto Junmai Daiginjo - $18

• Tedorigawa Yamahai Junmai Daiginjo - $12

• Kagatobi Ai Junmai Daiginjo - $12