As a longtime wellness reporter based in Los Angeles, I’ve noticed health and beauty practices becoming popular on the West Coast before they’re embraced among my friends and colleagues in New York. From outward body mods (eyelash extensions, injectables, Ozempic) to more inward-facing pursuits (for example, sound baths, meditation, earthing), I’m seeing wellness trends start here. Similarly, I’ve seen the sober-curious movement become a whole thing here—from NA beverage start ups to the whole concept of California sober (ie, ingesting cannabis but not alcohol) and a media micro-culture around sobriety (give a listen to bicoastal Dry Run podcast in the car on the way to Soberchella). So when I heard the buzz about kava, a kind of drink made from roots that people were enjoying as a social lubricant that doesn’t give you a hangover, I visited a kava bar near me. It’s worth learning about kava in general, because odds are, it will be coming to a bar or restaurant near you next.
I Went to a Kava Bar Near Me in L.A. and Now I’m Sold on the Trend
The new adult hang you need sans alcohol
What Is Kava?
According to Kavahana, the Santa Monica kava bar I visited, it’s a drink made from the powder of the freshly ground roots of the kava plant. “A non-alcoholic drink you can actually feel!” for “smiles, relaxation and socializing” according to the shop’s signage. My friend and I chatted with our kavatender, who explained that Polynesian islanders traditionally used kava in political rituals, when socializing and in religious ceremonies. Sadly, the drink didn’t gain international popularity like coconuts and pineapples did, until now. My kavatender told me that today, there are numerous cultivars of kava that vary the effects, from relaxing to uplifting, of the active ingredients called kavalactones
What’s a Kava Bar Like?
When I visited Kavahana, I felt I was stepping into a Hawaiian café for a soda, more than a dark watering hole for day drinking. White-painted brick, some small café tables and chatty chaps behind the bamboo bar wearing crisp green jumpsuits reading “Live Tingly” — the vibe was giving cool seaside boutique more than sexy boite. The vibe was sunny, pleasant and friendly, with clusters of people chatting and sipping pastel-colored drinks from plastic cups and taking sips from small coconut shells. My friend and I ordered from a menu that separated the drinks into velvety drinks (for example, the Beach Nectar, which has kava nectar, blue spirulina, house coconut foam and vanilla) and fresh drinks (such as the Paradise Nectar, containing kava nectar, Indian mango, fresh pineapple and fresh lime). We accompanied these with shots of straight kava nectar made with kava root and alkaline water, because our kavatender told us that the recommendation for first-timers is to have more than one single serving, because most users have an initial tolerance to the effects. In other words, unlike with most mood-changers, you don’t build up a tolerance, you start with one.
What Does Kava Feel Like?
Everyone has a slightly different reaction to kava, according to my research, but my friend Lizzie and I had a similar experience of pushing past the earthy yuck of the straight kava shooter (“It tastes like dirty water from the street,” she said. “But, in a good way?”) as well as enjoying the mixed nectar drinks prepared for us. After ten minutes, my tongue and lips felt tingly and my face felt numb, which really threw me; since I’ve been sober for a long time, I only have a vague sense memory of intoxication. “Well, maybe this is anaphylaxis and I’ll soon stop breathing,” I thought cheerily. This wasn’t true, but here’s what’s remarkable—I was pretty relaxed about the whole prospect of an (imagined) allergic reaction. Giddy even. The usual ball of tension that lives in my medulla eased and I was having a fun time. Giddily, my pal and I planned a couple of neighborhood stops after we finished our surprisingly tasty dry ramen, one of the bar snacks Kavahana serves. Best of all, I didn’t crash in the mid-afternoon or early evening, though my pal texted me later to describe her come-down, which felt as if she’d been day drinking.
Was my good time the result of suggestive thinking, an effect of seeing an old pal who always cracks me up or the product of a centuries-old traditional elixir? I can’t say for sure, but I’m looking forward to going back to Kavahana for the night scene, which our kavatender says gets lively, as well as visiting kava bars in other neighborhoods, such as Kava Bar & Botanical Lounge in the Valley and Kava Culture in Atwater. Oh, and I look forward to my next visit to Kavahana for a mid-afternoon visit after a run I’ve scheduled next month—among kava’s effects is its ability to speed muscle recovery, so I can’t wait to earn my next sip of dirty water.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does kava do to a person?
Translated as “intoxicating pepper,” kava (Piper methysticum) is a shrublike plant with roots that are ground up to make an ingestible powder. Traditionally grown in the South Pacific where it was ritually ingested, the plant when ingested has “psychoactive properties, bringing a sensation of calm and relaxation, thus becoming an appealing beverage to both locals and tourists. It is believed that kavalactones, the main constituents of kava, are responsible for the relaxation properties,” according to a 2015 scientific report. Now kava has reached Western countries as an option to cope with anxiety disorders and stress as well as being used as a pain reliever. In recent years, kava has also been studied as a potential bioactive agent in cancer treatment. The effects of kava as described by the Drug Enforcement Agency are as follows: “Intoxicated individuals typically have sensible thought processes and comprehensive conversations, but they also have difficulty coordinating movement and often fall asleep. Kava users do not exhibit the generalized confusion and delirium that occurs with high levels of alcohol intoxication.”
Is kava considered a drug?
Australia’s Alcohol Drug Foundation, an advocacy group, defines the plant derivative thusly: “Kava is a depressant drug, which means it slows down the messages travelling between the brain and the body.” According to a March 2025 paper published by the Drug Enforcement Agency “kava is increasingly used for recreational purposes. Kava’s reinforcing effects include mild euphoria, muscle relaxation, sedation and analgesia.” Anecdotally, I’ve found no instances of kava being physically addictive or inspiring behavioral dependence, unlike with alcohol and cannabis.
Who should not take kava?
If you have any sort of liver damage, don’t take kava, warns Mount Sinai.That’s because more than 30 people in Europe have reported liver damage after using kava, however the exact details, including whether it was the plant extract itself, something involved in the distillation or some interaction with other medicines that caused the damage. Children should not take kava, nor should anyone taking anticonvulsants, anti-anxiety drugs, diuretics, phenothiazine drugs or really any medication that’s metabolized by your liver. Additionally, don’t take alcohol and kava at the same time—you’re at a greater risk of cognitive impairment as well as liver damage.
