WTF is
this place?

Kava (Piper methysticum) is made from the ground root of a South Pacific pepper shrub. For thousands of years, people in Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga and Samoa have shared it at ceremonies, at gatherings and to relax.

Alcohol clouds your judgment and your coordination. Kava relaxes your body and leaves your mind clear. People drink it to shake off the day’s stress and feel at ease around others.

Not a cocktail, not a sweet tea. Earthy, bitter, peppery, muddy: an acquired taste. So you gulp it down all at once from a small shell, then chase it right away: a slice of pineapple, water or apple juice.

The first thing you feel is tingling or numbness on your tongue and lips. Don’t panic. It’s completely normal, and it means the kavalactones, kava’s active compounds, are there and working.

Feel nothing your first or second time? Don’t be discouraged. Kava is famous for reverse tolerance: your body may need time to build a sensitivity before you feel the full effect.

Kava works best 3 to 4 hours after your last meal. A full stomach cuts how much you absorb, so right after a heavy dinner you might miss it completely.

Like coffee or alcohol, kava sends you to the restroom more often, and it dries out your skin and body. Golden rule: a big glass of water with or after your kava.

Your liver processes both, and both act on your nervous system. Mixing them can bring intense nausea and overwork your liver. Pregnant, nursing or have liver issues? Skip kava.

The bowl it comes in, and the word for one serving of kava. Every bar pours its own size, so ask what a shell is here.

Flavored shell: fruit, juice or creamer. Kava mocktail: a full drink, sipped. Kava shots: small and flavored. Still stuck? Say: first time, surprise me.

Bula: hello, cheers and life. Shell: the bowl, and one serving. Chaser: fruit, candy, water or juice after the shell. Heady and heavy: lighter and chattier, or more laid back. Rooted: too much kava. Not drunk, maybe a little queasy.

Tip the person pouring, bring the shell back to the bar, join the game, ask before you film, and learn one name.