# Kava Night at Home: How to Set Up Your First One | The Softer Hour

> How to set up a first kava night at home: picking the evening and the can, the glass and the chaser, how to drink it and who should skip it.

Source: https://softerhour.com/kava-night-at-home

Guide · Kava

# 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](https://thefunctionalsip.com/article/what-is-kava-beginners-guide).

## 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](https://botanicalbrewingco.com/collections/kava-1/products/orange-dream-kava?sca_ref=12358316.LbbEA40zk2Gdk&utm_source=softerhour&utm_medium=affiliate) tastes like a creamsicle and is the easiest first flavor. If you'd rather taste everything before choosing, the variety box has every flavor.

If you want to try it **Kava Orange Dream** from $36

[Shop at BBCo →](https://botanicalbrewingco.com/collections/kava-1/products/orange-dream-kava?sca_ref=12358316.LbbEA40zk2Gdk&utm_source=softerhour&utm_medium=affiliate)

## 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](https://softerhour.com/why-does-kava-taste-so-bad).

## Next steps

Curious about the real thing? [What to order at a kava bar](https://softerhour.com/what-is-a-kava-bar). Picking for a different kind of night? [What to drink tonight](https://softerhour.com/what-to-drink-tonight).

Try every flavor **Kava Variety 12-Pack** $102 · 12 cans

[Shop at BBCo →](https://botanicalbrewingco.com/collections/kava-1/products/kava-variety-12pk?sca_ref=12358316.LbbEA40zk2Gdk&utm_source=softerhour&utm_medium=affiliate)

## 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](https://softerhour.com/kava-and-alcohol) · [Why does kava taste so bad?](https://softerhour.com/why-does-kava-taste-so-bad) · [What is a kava bar?](https://softerhour.com/what-is-a-kava-bar)

**Ready to try it?**

[Shop Kava Orange Dream →](https://botanicalbrewingco.com/collections/kava-1/products/orange-dream-kava?sca_ref=12358316.LbbEA40zk2Gdk&utm_source=softerhour&utm_medium=affiliate)[Not sure? Take the 60-second quiz](https://softerhour.com/#quiz)