For centuries, kava has been the center of celebrations in the Pacific Islands with people bonding between sips of the relaxing, earthy beverage. The rest of the world has just dipped its toes into the joys of kava culture with the introduction of wholesale kava, kava bars, and, now, kava parties.
A kava party is simply that: a party where kava is prepared and served to enhance the community experience. Any special occasion can become a kava party—just add kava to it! Whether you have an upcoming birthday party, double date night, or even Super Bowl Sunday, a cup of kava can help you and your guests love gathering together even more. Check out our tips below for how you can host an amazing kava party that helps your guests relax the island way.
How to Plan an Unforgettable, Relaxing Kava Party
1. Choose a Central Event
Kava is a great option if you’re looking for memorable party activities to make your event even more special. Sometimes, it’s easier to plan your kava party around a holiday or an upcoming event like a March Madness party, a housewarming celebration, or even a wedding anniversary. But the great thing about kava is that it can make any event special. If you’re looking for unique date ideas, making kava with your significant other could be a great way to relax and enjoy your time together. Hosting a game night with your college buddies? A cup of kava can help everyone at the table let loose and enjoy some friendly competition. If you need some inspiration, we’ve listed a few ideas for events to plan your kava party around:
- Sporting Events – Super Bowl, March Madness, Olympics opening ceremonies, team celebrations after winning a game, race/marathon.
- Holidays – Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Friendsgiving, Valentine’s Day, etc.
- Special Event – birthdays, anniversaries, bachelor/bachelorette parties, engagement parties, wedding reception, festivals, outdoor concerts, retirement parties, graduation parties, reunions, etc.
- Social Event – date night, game night, sip and paint night, summer barbeque, etc.
2. Select a Kava Variety to Serve
Picking the perfect kava variety is key for hosting a great kava party. Kava varieties range from heady to heavy in their relaxation effects, so you will want to pick a variety that best suits the vibe of your gathering. For socializing, we recommend heady varieties. Heady kavas have more upbeat relaxation effects, such as bubbliness, experiencing a mood boost, increased sociability, and even euphoria. Heady kavas often give you a more energized sense of calm than balanced or heavy varieties, which may leave you feeling drowsy. At Kalm with Kava, our heady kavas include Pouni Ono, Samoa Ava, and our House Blend kava.
3. Decide on How to Prepare Your Kava
Kava is versatile in how it can be prepared and served, so you’ll want to pick a method and recipe that best suits the needs of your event and guests. If you want to share your passion for the centuries-old process of making kava, you can prepare kava the traditional way with medium grind kava root and have your guests join in the prep work. Brewing and straining kava tea the traditional way may take longer, but it is a fun bonding experience that can help guests dive headfirst into kava culture. If you want to still use medium grind kava root but want a quicker process for brewing and serving, you could prepare kava the easy way by using hot water and a blender. You still get the power of medium grind root kava, but it is a more simple (and less messy) undertaking.
For those drinking kava for the first time, the earthy taste of kava can be a bit of a shock. To ease your guests into the kava experience, you have several options for brewing some especially tasty kava:
- Micronized Kava – What’s great about micronized kava is that it can be easily added to your favorite beverage. The finely-ground kava root particles dissolve almost instantly, so you can swirl your favorite kava blend into a glass of flavored sparkling water, fruit juice, or iced tea.
- Kava Concentrate – Kava concentrate is specially formulated to make kava taste good! All you have to do is dilute 1 oz of kava concentrate with 5 oz of water to have an instant kava drink that’s both relaxing and tasty. Our kava concentrate flavors come in Guava, Kavarita (lemon-lime), and Iced Tea.
- Using a Custom Kava Recipe – Craving a cup of hot cocoa during your annual Christmas gift exchange? What about a non-alcoholic guava colada during a summer pool party? You can do either and more by incorporating kava into your favorite beverage recipe. Medium grind, micronized, and kava concentrate, can easily be added to a variety of drink recipes to combine the flavors you know and love with the relaxation that kava brings. Need some inspiration? Check out our range of kava recipes on our site!
4. Choose Your Snacks Wisely
Food is almost as important to a party as the beverages are. However, kava is rarely effective on a full stomach. Kava is best consumed on an empty stomach so the active ingredients can be absorbed efficiently. If you try kava on an empty stomach and find it makes you feel a little nauseous, you can follow your drink with a snack called a kava chaser. Because kava is naturally bitter and earthy, it’s better to pick kava chasers that are lighter and sweeter in flavor, like fruit or nuts. Have an assortment of kava chasers ready for your guests, and make sure to tell them to arrive at the party with an empty stomach so the kava can give them the most impactful relaxation experience.
5. Stock up on Kava Accessories
If you’re making enough kava for a large gathering of people, you’re going to need to do some prep work before your guests arrive, especially with kava accessories. If you decide to prepare kava the traditional way, you’ll need a bigger kava strainer bag with the capacity to make a batch of kava large enough to serve your guests. If you truly want to immerse guests in the Islander experience of drinking kava, you could prepare kava in a kava bowl (tanoa) and serve the beverages in bilos, cups made out of coconut shells. No matter which way you choose, make sure to take inventory of your supplies and stock up before your big event.
Alcohol vs Kava for a Party
In the United States, people often serve alcoholic beverages at parties to help people unwind. But kava is one of the best alcohol alternatives around and can even do a better job at helping party goers ease back and enjoy a night of socializing. Drinking kava has the positive effects of alcohol without any of the downsides. Like alcohol, kava relaxes the mind and body, making you feel lightweight and experience a happy “buzz” after drinking a glass. After a glass, all the stresses of the day start to fall away. Also, like alcohol, kava can help relax you, reduce your inhibitions, and make you feel more social. But a few major differences between kava and alcohol is that kava doesn’t make you more aggressive, experience brain fog, or have a hangover. If you are “sober curious” and want to relax without the negative effects of alcohol, try serving and drinking kava at your next party.
Boost Your Party with Kalm with Kava
Ready to host the greatest kava party on record? Let us help by supplying you with the best kava on the market! In our online shop, you can easily buy kava, stock up on accessories, and check out our top recipes to make your gathering one for the books. We’re your one-stop shop for all things kava, so browse our range of kava products today!
