The South Florida-based KavasutrA is opening a kava bar at 261 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.
Here's more about their operation via the KavasutrA website:
Our South Florida Kava Bars are relaxing, tranquil environments where you can come, kick back, drink a kava shell and relax within a non-judgmental, welcoming environment.
What Is Kava Kava?
Kava is a magical root from the south pacific. It has been used as a tradition for over 3,000 years. The relaxing effects that this root offers are truly remarkable. When mixed with water, properly strained and sold at Kavasutra, the effect it will have on you is one that must be experienced to be truly understood.
What is a Kava Bar?
Kava Bars have been a part of many island cultures for years such as Venuatu, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Futuna, Rotuma, Uvea and Hawaii. In most places, Kava is used for both ceremony and as a recreational drink.
KavasutrA honors the island traditions with the high quality, premium kava and a relaxing tranquil environment. The relaxing effects you experience from drinking Kava are a perfect compliment to social interaction without the potential dangers of drinking alcohol. KavasutrA Kava Bars are a perfect place to unwind and socialize with friends.
No word on an opening date just yet.
H/T EVG reader Daniel.
Too bad the local butchers have mostly closed, since they sold liver, and if you drink kava, you migh need a new one:
ReplyDeletehttp://livertox.nih.gov/KavaKava.htm
Can anyone shine some light on the use of that storefront for the last 2.5 years? There's always the same man there fixing up mopeds and doing other handiwork.
ReplyDeleteAnother offbeat business that will no doubt flourish in NYC. Move over acai bowls!
ReplyDeleteI tried Kava root at Commodities a few years ago, and it made me feel immediately stoned, and not in a good way. It's actually very powerful - be cautious.
ReplyDeleteKava only damages your liver if the leaves n stems and other parts other than the roots are used. Would a new alcohol bar receive the same watch out for your liver remark?
ReplyDeleteActually met the owners on Friday night while they were doing some work getting the place ready for opening. Really nice guys and should be a welcome addition to the neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteKAVA is safe on your liver, i have been drinking it regularly for 10 years. In the South Pacific, they drink it daily, and are fine.
ReplyDeleteBig Pharmaceutical companies would love for everyone to believe it is toxic. They would love for the public to believe there is no safe and effective anti-anxiety and anti-depressant.
Kava has proven to be safe, effective, and beneficial.
http://www.hfhl.umn.edu/prod/groups/cfans/@pub/@cfans/@hfhl/documents/asset/cfans_asset_337247.pdf
http://entheology.com/features/false-alarm-kava-not-toxic-to-liver/
http://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/kava-cure#1
http://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/news/2014/01/kava-protects-mice-from-lung-cancer.aspx
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNRURSEuatU
ReplyDelete@anon 11:40 - No, I wouldn't say the same about alcohol, because people don't say unsupported things like "Booze is safe if it's not distilled from stems" (any one who's tried grappa, which is horrible stuff distilled from grape stems, will see the stupidity of this).
ReplyDeleteKava is not proven safe. The most you can say with any honesty is that we don't know the whole story:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14677792
https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/is-kava-safe/
It's fair enough not to trust BigPharma, but that doesn't mean that somebody selling the stuff is more trustworthy. Profit motive is profit motive, and even sincerity doesn't guarantee that you know what you're talking about.
It's a cinch that you shouldn't use it for long periods or with alcohol. Aside from that, you can believe what you like. It's a jungle out there.
I have the same question as 9:50 a.m.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to see that "offbeat" use gone -- sorry 11:01 -- rather than being excited about yet another trendy whatever.
Nothing against kava. Just would rather have that fellow back, doing his thing.
I tried kava extract once back in college. (In those days I was looking for all kinds of ways to get high.) But I didn't feel anything.
ReplyDeleteI drank a lot of Kava when I worked in Fiji for 6 months. There is supposedly some derivative of the "-caine" family (novocaine, cocaine) in the plant. It definitely made my tongue tingly and numb and made one feel happy. That being said, it tasted like dirt.
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine this place will have artisinal concoctions full of sweet flavors to attract the youngsters.
Kava is like bath salts? Will I chew a mans face off after eating ... or drinking it?
ReplyDeleteYou might pass out, not chew people's faces off.
ReplyDeleteThe Island of the Colorblind by Oliver Sacks has a great description of the effects of Kava.
My only exposure to Kava is from this episode of “Globe Trekker”:
ReplyDelete“Ian Wright visits the Pacific Islands of Fiji, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. He begins his journey in Fiji, where he is welcomed by a local tribe with a Kava drinking ceremony. The mild narcotic is often offered to guests as a sign of friendship, and is also used to seal alliances, start chiefly conferences and commemorate births, deaths and marriages.”
Kava made strictly from the root of the plant has been used safely for thousands of years. A scientific study conducted by the University of Hawaii confirmed this. Hepatoxic reactions resulted from kava products that used bark and twig pieces in their formula. Filler crap, essentially. There is growing evidence of kava's health benefits. I was shellin' down in south Florida for almost two years straight and recently had blood work done. The doctor said I was in great health and my liver and related enzymes were in extremely good shape. For me it's case closed on "oh it's bad for your liver." I think it might have cleaned it out! I'm excited for this to open in NYC since I moved back up north from soflo. The only things I miss about Florida is the weather, my friends, endless rounds of disc golf, and that kava bar life. Bula on biotch!
ReplyDeleteI miss Chester. Did he pass away or move on?
ReplyDeleteHey kava kava
ReplyDeleteHey kava kava
I know where you live
Chester/Doc is fine -- he still lives close by but no longer has the shop. You'll still see him around. I miss Ki-Om Hi Fi's concerts too.
ReplyDeleteBTW I believe that no business, nonprofit, NUTHIN, should ever SpeLl its NaMe with some LetTers CapiTAlized and oTHers NoT.
ReplyDeleteIt's super annoying and guarantees that it will be misspelled. Whatever clever comment is in the spelling ain't worth it.
Traditionally, that is, for 1000's of years before pharmaceutical corporations, this was made traditionally by women chewing the kava root, spitting it out and then letting it ferment. I once did the recommended slow boil and allow to sit overnight. I drank it, my throat went numb, and nothing else happened. I think we need a datura lounge.
ReplyDeletewell the kava plant is awesome but I reccomend everyone do some research about the owners before you decide to spend your hard earned money at a place owned by ex felons and drug traffickers! New York has enough shady business to worry about and in my opinion we done need another business laundering their dirty money through our amazing city!
ReplyDeleteLook at the way the owner dylan views New York already, I'm just saying do some research and make your own decision!
http://highroulette.com/stoner-blog/dylan-harrison-pleads-guilty-nice-guy-synthetic-marijuana-distribution-case/
http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/17902033
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-08-14/news/fl-mr-nice-guy-sentencings-20130814_1_kratom-lab-synthetic-marijuana-john-shealey
Kava is part of the coffee family. It's not dangerous if you only use the root. The rest of the plant is poisonous. It's actually FDA regulated. But since you're so against it just don't show up or drink kava.
ReplyDeleteMy liver function was declining when I started drinking kava 2 years ago. Now it is as 100% and I am healthy again. If the kava is not responsible for my liver regenerating itself then it certainly didn't hurt. Think critically. There is an amazing amount of misinformation out there related to kava. Kava is fda approved and has been used safely for thousands of years. The misinformation comes from back in the 80s and 90s some herbal companies tried to cut corners and save money by using other parts of the plant rather than just the kava root. The rest of the plant is toxic and will cause liver damage, but the root is safe. The people you meet at the kava bars are very welcoming and open. It's a refreshing place to be, especially amongst all the NYC hustle and bustle!
ReplyDelete