Kava vs alcohol
Kava or a beer?
The honest version.
You know what a beer does. Kava's the drink most people have never heard of: a root from the South Pacific, poured at bars with a bar top, a kavatender and regulars, just no booze. Here's how the two actually stack up, no sales pitch.
Never mix kava and alcohol.Not before, not after, not in the same cup. NIH says kava shouldn't be used with alcohol or other sedatives.[1]
Kava vs alcohol,
side by side
Ten things people actually want to know. Numbers in brackets point to the sources at the bottom.
| Topic | Kava | Alcohol |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | KavaA root. The ground root of Piper methysticum, mixed with water. From Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga and Samoa, where people have shared it for thousands of years. | AlcoholEthanol, made by fermenting grain, fruit or sugar. Beer, wine, liquor. |
| How it feels | KavaYour body relaxes and your head stays clear. Numb lips mean it's working. Reverse tolerance: you may feel little the first time or two. | AlcoholIt changes your mood and behavior and makes it harder to think clearly and move with coordination. The more you drink, the more it does.[3] |
| How you drink it | KavaIt tastes like bitter earth. Nobody sips it: you drink the shell in one go, then grab a chaser. | AlcoholDepends on the drink. You sip it, nurse it, or shoot it. |
| The social side | KavaA bar top, a kavatender and regulars. Someone calls "Shells up!", the room says "Bula!", everybody drinks. Board games, trivia, live music. Open all day. | AlcoholThe bar you already know. Rounds, toasts, last call. |
| Too much | KavaYou get rooted. Not drunk, but maybe a little nauseous. Slow down and drink some water. | AlcoholDrunk. Then the next morning. |
| The next morning | KavaNo promises from us. Kava is a diuretic, so drink water while you're there. It works best on an empty stomach, 3 to 4 hours after a meal. | AlcoholOverdo it and NIAAA's list includes fatigue, thirst, headache, nausea and sensitivity to light and sound.[4] |
| Cost | KavaA shell runs $8.00 at the median ($4.25 to $13.00) across 33 shell prices on 34 kava bars' HappyKava menus. See kava prices. | AlcoholWhatever your bar charges, plus the tip, plus the ride home. Do your own math below. |
| Safety | KavaNever with alcohol or sedatives. Skip it if you're pregnant, nursing, have liver problems or take medications that affect the liver, and talk to your doctor. Rare cases of serious liver injury have been linked to kava.[1][2] | AlcoholIt affects the whole body, not just the liver: the brain, heart, gut, pancreas and immune system too.[3] |
| Driving | KavaDon't drive impaired. That goes for kava too. If you feel it, get a ride. | AlcoholDon't drive drunk. Ever. Get a ride. |
| The law | KavaSold legally in the US as a food and dietary supplement. The FDA put out a consumer advisory about possible liver injury in 2002.[1] | AlcoholLegal at 21 in the US. |
Wait, what's kava?
Kava is a social root drink: the ground root of Piper methysticum, mixed with water. People in Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga and Samoa have been drinking it together for thousands of years. It relaxes your body and keeps your head clear.
It tastes like bitter earth. Nobody drinks it for the flavor. You get it in a shell, wait for someone to call “Shells up!”, the room says “Bula!”, and you drink the whole thing in one go. Then a chaser.
Never been to a kava bar? WTF is a kava bar? covers the whole thing.
Swapping a beer
for a shell
If you're coming from a regular bar, here's what's different.
- Come hungry-ish. Kava works best on an empty stomach, 3 to 4 hours after a meal. The opposite of what you'd do before drinking.
- Felt nothing? Normal. Kava has reverse tolerance: you may feel little the first time or two. Come back.
- Numb lips are the sign. That means it's working.
- Get water. Kava is a diuretic. Get a bottle of water with your shell.
- Know your number. Too much and you're rooted: not drunk, maybe a little nauseous. Slow down.
- Still don't drive impaired. Kava included. If you feel it, get a ride.
- It's not just after work. Kava bars are open all day, morning to late. Board games, trivia, live music, regulars.
Lots of kava bars have a First Time Guide: scan the code on the window or the bar and it walks you through your first shell.
Your numbers
We won't pretend to know what a drink costs at your bar. Put in your own prices. The kava side starts at $8.00, the median of 33 listed shell prices on HappyKava menus; change it to your bar's.
Your usual bar
—Put in what a drink costs you.
A kava bar
$16.00at the median listed shell price
Your numbers stay in your browser. Shell prices are a snapshot of public menus, not live prices. See kava prices by state and city.
Who should skip kava
Kava isn't for everybody. Skip it, and talk to your doctor, if you:
- are pregnant or nursing,
- have liver problems,
- take medications that affect the liver,
- take sedatives, or plan to drink alcohol.
Rare cases of serious liver injury have been linked to kava.[1][2] We describe what kava is and how people drink it. We don't make health promises, and this page isn't medical advice.
Kratom is a different plant
Most kava bars also pour kratom. It's a leaf, not a root, brewed into a tea that's served hot or iced. It isn't kava, and it can be habit-forming. Kratom laws vary by state and city, so check yours.
Quit drinking,
or thinking about it?
Kava isn't alcohol, and a kava bar is a bar without the booze. Whether it fits your recovery is your call, and your program's.
Bars without the booze
Every sober cityHappyKava lists 804 kava bars that don't list alcohol, in 354 cities. The biggest right now:
Questions
Is kava like alcohol?
Not really. Both are social drinks you have at a bar with other people, but kava is a root drink, not alcohol. It relaxes your body and keeps your head clear. It won't get you drunk; too much and you're rooted, which can mean feeling a little nauseous.
Can I drink kava instead of alcohol?
Plenty of people do: kava bars are bars with a bar top, a kavatender and regulars, just no booze. HappyKava lists 804 kava bars. If you've quit drinking, whether kava fits your recovery is your call, and your program's.
Can you mix kava and alcohol?
No. Never mix them: not before, not after, not in the same cup. NIH's NCCIH says kava shouldn't be used with alcohol or other sedatives, and a kava bar that doesn't list alcohol doesn't pour it.
Is kava safe?
Rare cases of serious liver injury have been linked to kava, according to NIH's NCCIH. Skip it if you're pregnant, nursing, have liver problems or take medications that affect the liver, and talk to your doctor before you try it.
Can I drive after kava?
Don't drive impaired, on kava or anything else. If you feel it, get a ride.
Is kava legal?
Yes, kava is sold legally in the US as a food and dietary supplement. The FDA issued a consumer advisory about possible liver injury in 2002.
How much does a shell of kava cost?
The median listed shell price on HappyKava menus is $8.00, from $4.25 to $13.00 across 33 prices. Bars set their own prices, so check the menu.
What does kava taste like?
Bitter earth. That's why nobody sips it: you drink the whole shell in one go, then a chaser. Numb lips mean it's working.
Why didn't I feel anything?
Kava has reverse tolerance: lots of people feel little the first time or two. It also works best on an empty stomach, 3 to 4 hours after a meal.
What's kratom? Is it the same as kava?
No. Kratom is a different plant, a leaf, brewed into a tea served hot or iced. Most kava bars pour it too. It can be habit-forming.
Sources
- NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH): Kava
- FAO and WHO: Kava: a review of the safety of traditional and recreational beverage consumption (2016)
- NIH National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA): Alcohol's effects on the body
- NIAAA: Hangovers
- SAMHSA: National Helpline
Shell prices come from public HappyKava bar menus (kava prices). Bar counts come from the HappyKava directory.
Try a shell
instead.
The HappyKava app shows which kava bars are open now, what's on today, and deals you can claim.