Kombucha, ume plum & calming botanicals — served at All Spice San Mateo
Aplos is a California NA spirits brand focused on botanicals chosen for their adaptogenic and stress-reducing properties — ashwagandha, hemp-derived terpenes, and calming herbs blended into drinks that taste genuinely complex. The Ume expression is built around ume (Japanese plum), the intensely tart and savory stone fruit found in umeboshi pickles and plum wine. Combined with kombucha's live-culture acidity and light effervescence, it makes a drink that straddles Japanese izakaya and California wine-country in flavour profile. At All Spice, whose Asian-inflected California cuisine naturally finds common ground with Japanese ingredients, the Aplos Ume Spritz is the most food-pairing-ready of the zero-proof options.
Aplos Ume has an intensely savory-tart character from the ume — it pairs exceptionally well with umami-rich foods (mushrooms, fish, aged cheeses) in a way most sweet NA drinks don't. Shiso leaf garnish amplifies the Japanese-plum connection. Available in RTD cans and bottles.
All Spice in San Mateo is a long-standing Bay Area favourite that has elevated South Asian fine dining for over a decade. The mocktail programme reflects the kitchen's philosophy — premium non-alcoholic ingredients (adaptogens, botanical sodas, house-crafted shrubs) in recipes that are as carefully considered as anything on the cocktail list. A model for how a serious restaurant handles zero-proof drinks.
Visit allspicerestaurant.com