Why Won't New York City Let Me Enjoy My Favorite Kava Bars?

On a punishingly cold afternoon at the start of this year, I stopped into a spacious and minimalist bar on Bedford Avenue called Kava Social and ordered a non-alcoholic cider drink. The bartender indicated to me the drink was ‘very strong’; in my typical cocksure fashion, and not knowing what ‘strong’ meant, I presumed the qualifier ‘...for everyone else,’ and proceeded to quaff the good cheer.

After about 15 minutes of cozy sipping, I began to feel funny, like after your first liquor shot in high school, heady and happy and clarifying. Soon, I felt euphoric. My partner and I played card games while I became increasingly relaxed, until my only interactions were two-word answers and a dopey smile.

Kava, a crop of the Pacific Islands, has been consumed for centuries by Polynesian cultures - picture big-chested tribesmen sipping from coconut shells at the end of a long day - and in modern culture has been studied for its anxiolytic (i.e. anxiety reducing), anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects.

Since that wonderful afternoon, I’ve consumed kava in bars and at home, while decompressing from long runs and reflecting on long weeks. I quickly learned that Kava Social’s star anise cinnamon cider was a creative aberration from what is normally a very muddy and bitter root-drink. The traditional consumption of kava is in one gulp, immediately followed up with something fatty.

A non-addictive drink that produces euphoria and is best consumed with a slice of pizza or a bite of cake? C’mon, how is this not America’s favorite drink!

It’s certainly not New York’s; Kava Social was shut down in April due to an undisclosed health-code violation, and earlier this summer, both East Village locations of Kavasutra, another of my favorite hang-outs, were also shut down.

While I don’t have all the details, I suspect part of the city’s beef with the kava bars may be related to their distribution of kratom - a stimulant from Southeast Asia which is a popular additive in teas and is also associated with psychosis and addiction. I had heard stories of Kavasutra bartenders having to turn away customers who would come in with gallon water-bottles, requesting to be filled up with kratom.

My one positive experience with kratom was at another Williamsburg kava bar, Ka-Vá Kava Bar (still open!), where I downed a few kava shells before sipping a red kratom tea and going to meet friends for dinner in late spring. The kratom had a nice ‘upper’ effect to offset the heaviness of the kava, and kept me chatty and sociable throughout the night.

The next time I tried kratom, on some random Tuesday, my heart rate shot up from the mid-60s to about 100 in a matter of minutes. So, I appreciate the health concerns.

New York City authorities seem to have their hands full sussing out this brave new world of ‘all-natural’ substances, judging by the city’s scattershot approach to legal marijuana dispensaries. I could understand if the closing of these kava bars were due to legitimate health cases, or even a ‘misunderstanding’ of some of the effects from the drinks.

For the sake of the community - and the many, many recovering alcoholics I met in Kavasutra - I hope the city works with the business owners to remediate and re-open. Kava is a significantly safer substance than alcohol, and even marijuana; speaking as someone who had a massively unpleasant (legal) edible experience recently, kava’s tendency to freak out and induce panic is next to zero.

In the meantime, I’ll be alright; just keep the micronized Loa Waka coming, Kalm with Kava.

Until next time.