Do any of you guys drink kava?

[anagogy]

Do any of you guys drink kava? Piper methysticum is an very interesting plant.  

I find it an interesting and more healthy alternative to alcohol.  Tastes way way worse however.  Awhile back there were scares that it was hepatoxic, but those rumors were largely unsubstantiated, and the result of improper harvesting of the kava plant (using the stems and leaves rather than the pure root itself (which has since been banned)--also their case examples just happened to be people dying from alcohol induced cirrhosis anyway).  One of the things that fascinates me about it is the virtual lack of hangover.  Also, it appears to have a reverse tolerance profile, so it actually works better the more you use it (making it a very valuable option for those suffering from anxiety).  The effect is somewhat similar to alcohol, but with less cognitive impairment.  As for the taste?  I would describe it as a mixture of novocaine and mud.  That's not a joke, it even numbs your mouth and stomach which feels unusual to say the least.  

Finding potent kava is the hard part, since most kava is dried for preservation sake.

edit: meant to post this in the health forum. Clearly the kava is doing its job Mods, feel free to move if you see fit. Cheers.

[BlatzAdict]

not sure if it gets me drunk, you'd have to have a very low tolerance for it to get you drunk if at all

it's like drinking kombucha in the sense that there are traces of alcohol in it, but still too dilute to get you anywhere close.

i think of it more as a calming tea though the taste as described by anagogy is accurate. it does have a Novocain type deal where it numbs your throat kind of. probably good for a sore throat.

[anagogy]

not sure if it gets me drunk, you'd have to have a very low tolerance for it to get you drunk if at all

it's like drinking kombucha in the sense that there are traces of alcohol in it, but still too dilute to get you anywhere close.

i think of it more as a calming tea though the taste as described by anagogy is accurate. it does have a Novocain type deal where it numbs your throat kind of. probably good for a sore throat.

It can definitely get you drunk (kava drinkers usually call it getting "krunk").  But it has to be potent.  Vanuatu Kava is the strongest and most potent, and it even more potent before drying for preservation sake.  I have bought different kinds in the past, the kind I'm using now is "zetawise" micronized kava root powder.  The stuff is STRONG.  If you have never dealt with kava root powder before, I highly recommend micronized.  It is sooo much easier to handle.  Normal root powder must be filtered repeatedly through something similar to a cheesecloth and its a massive pain in the butt.  With the micronized, you just scoop and mix.  So simple.  It is more expensive however.  And also, as I said before, kava has a reverse tolerance profile, so the more you drink it, the less it takes to affect you.  Last night I drank a substantial amount, and it was very similar to an alcohol buzz.

A nice plant to have in one's herbal arsenal.

edit: I also wanted to say there are things like "kava tea" and kava capsules, but they hardly have any effect whatsoever compared to raw root powder.

[Night Owl]

I didn't know what it was. Didn't expect that from you either. Where do you find that? I am interested in experiementing with everything that alters consciousness. I hope you don't lose your balance when you're drunk oh master of balance.

[tamaryn]

Friends were scared to drink it because of the taste.

[anagogy]

Friends were scared to drink it because of the taste.

Yeah, I don't blame them, it tastes terrible. Back in the day I used to try to make it palatable. I eventually gave up on that futile pursuit and accepted its awfulness. Best to just drink it really cold, with a good chaser.

[mjlabadia]

Wow, I have always wanted to talk to someone about Kava!

I worked on Efate in Vanuatu. (In Port Vila and at the Transmitter site near Emten Lagoon.)

We had just started the job, and all of us under a great deal of pressure.

I remember it like it was YESTERDAY! It was nothing like alcohol for me. I remember an exhilarating sense of calm and peace.
An acute awareness, with a sense of  being "in the moment".

There are impromptu Kava bars all over those Islands.
Usually indicated by a lightbulb or a lantern hanging in a tree or bush nearby.
They are almost always outside, with the "bar" under some type off roof.
Some times a "String Band" will busque for tips.
(AWESOME musical style,...all acoustic guitar/s.....with Beach Boys style 4 or 5 part harmony,......and a guy playing a WASHTUB BASS!!! Complete with a broom handle and single piece of string which he tightens and slackens,...with perfect intonation.)

Haunting musical style.

The Kava is very bitter, and the goal is to drink the whole bowl at once.
They usually have women there selling sliced fruit or pieces of meat, which you eat immediately afterwards.

It was just getting dark,...and we were standing around talking,.......within a few minutes it felt like a hard shell had broken around my body and mind
It was as if THIS was my normal state of being,....and I'd finally come home.
I remember a couple of the Engineers from Radio New Zealand smiling at me,.......and one of the Vanuatu techs said to me, "I just watched the weight of the world lift off your chest!!"

Soon,...we started discussing some of the problems we were facing with the project,.....but this time all the answers seemed so clear.

I remember the smell of the air becoming more intense. All was right with the world.

It became our evening ritual for the months I was there.

God,....I hope I can go back some day!!!

[anagogy]

Thanks for sharing.

I find it to have a more positive energy than alcohol. Perhaps it isn't fair for me to compare the two. It probably only feels like alcohol when you have a LOT. If you drink a normal dosage, the sensation is much as you've described: a very calm clear state of mind. It is sometimes called "the friendship plant" because of the warm social feelings it produces in the imbiber.

A great way to unstress at the end of the day.

[sjel]

A year ago I made a piece of music called krunk. https://soundcloud.com/sjel-1/krunk I'm not sure it has much relation to the kava experience but it must somehow because I was drinking kava around this time.

I found it paired with cannabis very well. It also made my dreams especially vivid, BUT, this was weird, it made them more boring. My dreams were extreme vivid dream-versions of super boring activities. Like one dream I would just be sitting eating dinner... for the entire dream. The neutrality of the substance scared me a lot, it lessened my creativity and drive, so I stopped drinking it. Though it does seem like a good thing to drink with a lot of friends, or with Pacific Islanders, just to smile and gently love one another's presence.

[Aion]

I've seen people go on crazy ego power trips on this stuff. Trance herbs are not something to take lightly and they are poorly understood by most. There is much power in the plant kingdom.

Edit: Wait might have been another similar trance herb. Will have to double check. Either way, be careful kids.

[alohalilia]

Kava is an important ritual drink for quite a few Pacific island cultures. I enjoy its mellowing effects, particularly the potent stuff, much moreso than alcohol. Mixing it with coconut water really helps with the taste and smooths out the bitterness.