Your first kava night at home
Kava is the root of a pepper plant from the South Pacific, where it has been drunk at gatherings for centuries. Today it also comes in ready-to-drink cans. This page is about setting up your first kava evening at home. For the full background on the plant, our sister site has a beginner's guide to kava.
Pick the night
Choose a low-key evening at home with nowhere to drive afterwards, and make it a night you're not drinking alcohol at all. Kava and alcohol don't mix.
Pick the can
Traditional kava tastes earthy and peppery, so the flavored cans are the easy way in. Kava Orange Dream tastes like a creamsicle and is the easiest first flavor. If you'd rather taste everything before choosing, the variety box has every flavor.
Set it up
- A glass you like. Pour it over ice instead of drinking from the can.
- A fruit chaser. A slice of pineapple or orange, a nod to how kava is served in the Pacific.
- Something to do. A film, a board game, a long call with a friend.
How to drink it
- One can is one serving. Don't stack cans.
- Drink it on its own: no alcohol, and no other botanicals in the same night.
- Don't drive or operate machinery afterwards.
What it tastes like
Earthy and a little bitter in traditional form, and a light tingle on the lips is normal. Canned flavors cover most of that. Why kava tastes the way it does.
Next steps
Curious about the real thing? What to order at a kava bar. Picking for a different kind of night? What to drink tonight.
Who should skip kava
- Kava drinks are for adults 21+.
- Kava has rare reports of liver problems, mostly linked to concentrated supplements. Skip it if you have a liver condition, are pregnant or nursing, or take medications that affect the liver or nervous system.
- Don't mix it with alcohol, and don't drive after drinking it. Talk to your doctor if you're unsure.
Related: Why kava and alcohol don't mix · Why does kava taste so bad? · What is a kava bar?