With the rising popularity of herbal supplements and botanicals, you may be wondering what a kava bar is. While kratom may only recently be experiencing a rise in popularity in the United States, the botanical has a long history of centuries of enjoyment in southeast Asia, where it is natively grown. There, farmers celebrated it for various reported benefits, especially as a perceived help during a long day of physical labor. Kratom and kava have finally made their way across the world to the United States.
What Is a Kava Bar?
Despite the misleading nature of the term “kava bar,” these delightful shops do not sell alcohol. Instead, they offer a beverage made from the Piper methysticum plant, commonly referred to as “kava.” Kava itself can take on many forms like a drink, powder, capsules, extracts, and more but is commonly sold in these kava bars as a beverage. Additionally, there are a variety of fun ways they serve kratom and kava together.
What Do They Serve
Kava bars serve a variety of beverages in addition to traditional kava drinks. At a kava bar, you’ll often find other herbal drinks such as kombucha or kratom. Generally, the options all fall in a similar category of beverages made with all-natural botanicals. Some of them are said to improve focus whereas others are said to be relaxing and calming. Most kava bars will provide options for the more traditional way to serve kratom and kava as well as specialty drinks.
Reasons for Popularity
What is a kava bar popular for? One of the major selling points of kava bars is their similarity to traditional alcohol bars. Many people who are sober, or who just don’t feel like drinking, find there aren’t many options or places to go to be social. Moreover, people who are struggling with sobriety may miss the social aspects of drinking at a bar, making them more likely to end up at a bar or pub surrounded by temptation. There is a big, empty space in the market for a social hub for those who don’t want to drink alcohol that kava bars can fill. Coffee shops are a great alternative in the daytime, but most close by the late afternoon or evening, and therefore cannot replace the nightlife offered by a bar or pub.
A kava bar is what’s filling in that empty space in the market. A fun, social hub for those who don’t want to feel hungover the next morning, you can still pose for your Instagram feed with a drink in your head out with friends. Even if you aren’t sober or sober-curious, sometimes we all need a fun night with a break from alcohol. Where alcohol-serving bars can be loud, overstimulating, and exhausting, kratom and kava bars are designed to be more chill and relaxing.
Both of these botanicals are reported to have a number of positive benefits. Kava lovers are all about relaxation. Many customers claim that kava bars are a great place to go to get some relief from daily worries. Moreover, kava’s original historical use was to bring members of a community on the Pacific Islands together. Even today, kava bars still foster a sense of community and positive social interaction. So, whether you’re an extrovert or an introvert, a kava bar is uniquely suited to meeting new people and trying new things.
What Isn’t a Kava Bar?
All this talk about kratom and kava bars being a good alternative to alcohol bars may have you assuming they are similar. They are only similar in the sense that they offer a place to drink specialty beverages with your friends in a social setting. Kava bars do not serve alcohol, and many go as far as to prohibit any alcohol on site. This is because kava and alcohol do not mix, and should not be ingested at the same time.
Legal Status of Kava
Moreover, while kava is a specialty beverage reported to have qualities such as easing a busy mind and maintaining feelings of calm, it is currently legal in the United States. This is an all-natural botanical which has been used by those in the Pacific Islands for centuries.
Legal Status of Kratom
Not all kratom and kava bars will serve kratom, as unfortunately, kratom’s legal status in the US is a bit complicated. Currently, kratom is legal in most states, but it is illegal in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. That being said, the Kratom Consumer Protection Act is passing in more and more states, leading to more thoughtful kratom regulation and loosened restrictions.
Give Kava Bars a Try
Hopefully by now you have a better understanding of what a kava bar is. They are a fun place to relax, socialize, and try some fun drinks! Many kratom and kava bars also offer fun activities, such as pool and other games, as well as comfy chairs to lounge on. The best part? You can order kratom in a social setting and relax with all of your friends.