Forms of Kava

Traditional Grind Kava- The classic form of dried kava roots. Great for those who like the more traditional and interesting way of preparing and drinking kava, just the way it's been done for centuries around the South Pacific. It's also the most affordable form of kava.  The traditional powder should be placed in a strainer bag, immersed in warm water and then kneaded hard for apx. 10 minutes. It can make a strong and full-flavoured, but smooth and relatively easy to drink beverage. If you need more detailed instructions, visit our Kava Preparation page.

Instant Kava - Our high quality instant kava is a fantastic option for beginners, those who cannot be bothered with the traditional preparation techniques and seasoned drinkers looking for a more exquisite kava experience. It is the closest thing you can get to drinking freshly harvested kava on one of the Pacific islands. Our instants are truly excellent products made by dehydrating the resin of a very powerful fresh kava mixture (obtained through a cold water extraction of freshly harvested kava roots) until all that remains are the pure instant granules. The instant powder is incredibly fine, smooth and potent. It can be mixed directly with water or your favourite soft drink (no straining or kneading necessary!). Instant kava is more expensive than any other type of kava, but it also offers a remarkable combination of potency, smoothness, ease of drinking and convenience unmatched by any other form of kava. It is usually enough to use just 30-50% of the amount of traditional kava to get similar effects.

Ready to Drink Kava. As the name suggests, this form of kava is simply pre-made kava drink that can be enjoyed without any additional preparation. As such, it is the most convenient and easy-to-consume form of kava. We generally produce two versions of ready-to-drink kava. One is made using green kava (i.e. fresh roots, just like it’s consumed in kava’s birthplace, Vanuatu) and the other one is made using special blends of our traditional grind dry kava powders. Both are shelf-stable at room temperature for up to 1 year from the date of manufacturing and produced in a state of the art facility with only two ingredients: kava and water. No chemical extracts, no preservatives, just real kava. We achieve shelf stability via an innovative, but fully validated process that allows us to make kava safe and stable without causing any significant damage to its properties. Thanks to the use of our custom-made machines and our excellent preparation method, our bottled kava is also arguably smoother and more potent than what can be achieved at home via manual preparation.

Micronised Kava - This is a slightly more controversial form of kava. In essence, micronised kava promises the convenience of instant powder at a more affordable price. This is achieved by grinding the kava root so fine that the resulting powder can in theory be mixed directly with water or any other soft drink (just like with the instant kava, no filtering or kneading necessary). This process requires extra work but nowhere near as much work as the making of instant or ready-to-drink kava and hence micronised kava can be relatively cheaps. However, the problem is that even the finest powder is never as smooth as instant or properly strained traditional kava and hence for some people this form of kava is more likely to cause stomach upsets than any other form of kava. This is true for all micronised kava, including the most premium versions of it (such as the one that we used to offer), that are made by not just fine grinding but also by the removal of some of the hardest fibres (known as makas) prior to milling. For this reason we made a decision not to offer micronised kava in our online shop. We understand that the vast majority of people could enjoy small amounts of it without any kind of discomfort. However, for a small minority (many of whom were first-time users attracted by the lower price and convenience) it was causing issues and ultimately ruining their experience with kava. We might revisit this policy and decide to re-lanuch premium micronised kava for experienced drinkers, but at the moment we focus on the other forms of convenient kava.

Types of Kava

All kavas are generally known for their ability to promote calmness, relaxation an a sense of well-being without diminishing mental clarity. However, there are many different kava varieties and each variety has its own unique combination of kavalactones (expressed in a simplified form as the kava chemotype) which, together with such factors as the method of consumption and overall potency, will determine its specific effects. We can loosely differentiate between three broad types of kava varieties:

Heady - Kavas with higher concentrations of such kavalactones as kavain and yangonin (mostly those with numbers 4 and 3 closer to the left of their chemotype)  tend produce more  heady/cerebral, uplifting and cheerful effects. In general, heady kavas are good for day-time drinking as they keep your mind not just relaxed but also quite clear and alert. Heady kavas have more effects on your mind than on your body. They promote a gentle sense of well-being, contentment and happy unconcern. They are great for stressful situations and creative work. Such kavas are also good for social gatherings and parties as they encourage conversations and camaraderie.

Our favourite heady kavas: Kelai and Palarasul

Balanced- Balanced kavas offer a good balance of the two types of effects. As such, these are the most versitile and popular kavas. Depending on dosage, they are used for both day-time and night-time drinking and are considered to be great for both beginners and those experienced drinkers who enjoy the full spectrum of beautiful kava effects.

Our favourite balanced kavas: Pacific Elixir, Quick Shell (Instant) and Melo Melo

Heavy - Kavas with higher concentrations of the heavier kavalactones, namely dihydrokavain, dihydromethysticin and methysticin, (i.e. those with 2, 6 and 5 closer to the left, with 2 and 6 being far more desirable than 5)  are considered "heavier" kavas. They are known to be more sedating and to be able to produce more effects on your body (the so-called "body-melting" effect) than on your mind. In general, they tend to promote much deeper relaxation and sedation. Their taste is often a bit more bitter and their effects longer-lasting than those of the headier kavas. They are generally better for night-time drinking and not ideal for socialising or creative work.

Our favourite heavy kava: Borogoru