TOLEDO – There’s a new bar in town but don’t expect to belly up to the counter and order a beer or cocktail.
Kava Culture Bar is a unique place. The drink of choice is actually kava, an herbal supplement and extract from the shrub Piper methysticum, which is naturally found in Micronesia and Polynesia.
Kava is known for its relaxing and sedative effects, so this alcohol-free establishment serves energy and good feelings, but, unlike alcohol, will not impair the consumer or cause hangovers the next morning.
Rooted in Pacific traditions, the Toledo Kava Culture, owned by Chris and Rachel Kaminski, celebrated its grand opening Feb. 15.
Kava Culture is a franchise originally started in Florida, where Rachel Kaminski said they first tried Kava. The couple said they were looking for an after-retirement plan; something they could do together. As frequent visitors to Florida, they stumbled across a Kava Culture while on vacation and loved it so much they opened their own bar in Toledo.
Rachel Kaminski said their main goal was to help people find a community. “I just want everybody to feel like they have a fun place to go, and I’ll tell you what – our drinks really do make you feel joyful,” she said.
While the kava roots are shipped to the Toledo Kava Culture from Botanical Brewing Company in Cape Coral, the brewing of the kava is done in-house using a reverse osmosis system, and customers can watch the process through an open window.
Chris Kaminski said they’ve been successful with the business so far. He noted that about 120 attendees attended the soft launch, making it the most successful soft opening of any Kava Culture franchise, and they packed the house during its grand opening on Saturday.
Kava Culture is not limited to a specific age range and invites people of any age to come and enjoy their beverages. It has a variety of games, and even offers seven guitars for customers to play.
The Kaminskis’ said they plan to host events, including live music, comedy shows, bingo and country line dancing.
The bar also features drinks with other natural supplements, such as kratom, Kanna and CBD. Though the drinks promote good feelings, they do so naturally and won’t get consumers high. In addition to the herbal supplements, Kava Culture also has coffee and tea drinks, such as cold brew, matcha and espresso.
Chris Kaminski said all their drinks are organic and sweetened only with agave. They have a variety of flavors for their kava drinks including orange dream, blueberry lemonade and tiki apple, served on tap. While the taste of the drinks differs depending on the flavor, the profile is a mixture of sparkling water, green tea and fruit juice. There are unsweetened choices, as well.
Kava Culture also sells growlers and cans.
Colton Carpenter, a self-employed commercial contractor who helped work on the construction of Kava Culture before it opened, talked about why the place is unique.
“I’m not a big drinker. It’s a nice way to unwind but wake up feeling good still,” he said as he played Tic-Tac-Toe with his daughter Elizabeth, 6.
Carpenter added that the social element of Kava Culture is a compelling reason for him to keep coming back.
“Here, you get that same environment [as a bar] without the alcohol, so it’s cool. There aren’t a lot of spots like that, especially around here.”
Carpenter said his favorite drink is either the lemon pound cake Kanna or the orange dream kava.
The Kaminskis said they are working on opening another Kava Culture location in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
If you're on prescribed medication, consult with your doctor before ingesting kava.
