When Hetal and Dhruma Shah decided they were finally ready to quit drinking, the hardest part was feeling left out.
“We would be with friends and family and excluded from the celebration,” said Hetal Dhruma. “It felt awkward at times, especially when someone would say, ‘have a drink, one drink.’ We have to tell them, ‘sorry, I don’t drink.’ Then a year and a half ago we discovered these great nonalcoholic (NA) beverages.”
Soon, they were bringing their favorite NA beers and mocktails to social events. They were such a big hit that Hetal used his tech background to build a website, Sipeos, and begin distributing NA beverages.
It was more than a business. “It was our mission to make other people aware of the NA options and make them more accessible,” Hetal said.
That was about a year ago.
On Nov. 30, the Shahs will open their first brick and mortar, Sipeos Cafe & Bar, the first NA bar in Walnut Creek that will combine their love of NA beers, wines and mocktails with the culinary stylings of Blair Warsham, the executive chef at Wildseed in San Francisco and Palo Alto.
The interior at Sipeos Café & Bar, Walnut Creek’s first nonalcoholic bar serving California-Mediterranean bites and handcrafted zero-proof and low-ABV cocktails (photo by Hardy Wilson).
Keeping with the Wildseed theme, Sipeos promises to serve plant-forward California-Mediterranean food alongside an extensive list of NA beverages. The 70-seat location will also feature a pet-friendly patio.
“As we got older, one of the things we realized is that alcohol didn’t make us feel that great,” said Dhruma Shah. “That was the impetus for Sipeos. Limiting how much you drink helps a little bit, but eventually you fall back into those habits again. It was clear to us, we don’t need it in our life. That’s where we started.”
The Shahs aren’t alone; The New York Times recently reported that NA beverages are the fastest-growing sector of the alcohol market. Sales of NA beverages went up 32% from 2022 to 2023, compared to just 1% increase in alcoholic beverages.
The interior at Sipeos Café & Bar, Walnut Creek’s first non-alcoholic bar serving California-Mediterranean bites and handcrafted zero-proof and low-ABV cocktails (photo by Hardy Wilson).
The NA trend “gave us confidence that there’s an opportunity here,” Hetal Shah said. “Quite honestly, we’re not 100% sure how this concept will work. But we feel like we’re in the best place in Broadway Plaza. We can bring people in with the food program with plant-based and health-forward (fare). And allow them to try our beverages.”
The mocktail menu will include such drinks as an Espresso Marti-no ($14), a low ABV drink made with coffee, sherry and maple; a Tangerine Toddy ($14), featuring cinnamon, tangerine and Seedlip spice; and a New-Groni ($14), made of Wilderton’s Bittersweet Aperitivo, Optimist Bright, Verjus blanc and salt.
“It has zero alcohol but it tastes just like a normal Negroni with a nice bitter kick to it,” Hetal said.
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The Shahs are also vegetarians and focused on living a healthier, more active lifestyle. They’re also intent on being inclusive and creating a space where families and friends can host celebrations, so Sipeos will also include traditional beer and wine on the menu.
Details: Open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily in Broadway Plaza at 126 Broadway Lane in Walnut Creek; sipeos.com.
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An “Espresso Marti-no” at Sipeos Café & Bar, Walnut Creek’s first non-alcoholic bar serving California-Mediterranean bites and handcrafted zero-proof and low-ABV cocktails (photo by Hardy Wilson).