Reader: Kava Is All About Community! Give the People a Chance!

"It's an acquired taste, for sure."

July 9, 2023

Image: woman with bowl of kava outside bar

Molly Paige outside of Karma House. Evan Semón Photography

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While kava and kratom have been used spiritually and recreationally in the South Pacific for at least 1,500 years, the first kava bar opened in Boca Raton, Florida, in 2000. Kava, often described as “nature’s Xanax," and kratom both have psychoactive properties; currently, the federal government does not regulate either, leaving that up to individual states. As a result, kava bars (which generally serve kratom, too) have taken refuge in states with libertarian-leaning views toward mind-altering substances (see marijuana, mushrooms). Colorado is an obvious choice, contending for the title of "kava kapital" of the U.S., behind Florida (reigning champion), North Carolina and California.

Sam Monastra was running a kratom store in Ohio when he decided to leave that state's precarious regulatory landscape and move to Colorado, where he opened Colorado Mountain Kava in downtown Longmont in October 2021. “Florida is the kava capital right now; they have about [75] kava bars,” he says. “But almost two years ago, when we opened, there were also about four other kava bars opening in Colorado at the same time. Colorado is supposed to be the next kava capital, and there’s supposed to be a lot of bars popping up in Colorado in the next few years.”

After Helen Xu looked into the growing of popularity of kava bars in Colorado, readers shared their own thoughts on the Westword Facebook and Instagram pages. Says Brandon:

What this or any article can't convey is the sense of community found at kava bars. Kava is all about community! Give the people a chance and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Wonders Jeff:

Where was this when I was 21? F’n alcohol industry owning everything to do on Fridays....

Responds Timothy:

Kava and kratom are for people who want to pretend to be sober.

Notes Yeti

That shit is worse than alcohol, taste-wise.

Responds Sara:

It's an acquired taste, for sure. It didn't take long for me to truly enjoy it. The effects are worth it.

Concludes Natashia:

Please make it the next pina colada capital!

Have you tried kava? What did you think? Post a comment or share your thoughts at [email protected].

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