Best kava for a night out?

[theonepercent]

Hey everybody, kava rookie here. I'm getting into kava as a healthier alternative to drinking. I'm graduating college and I have seen how much hangovers/smoking can hurt my motivation and work life. Starting my first real job I am trying to get away from smoking and cut down on the drinking. I'm big into bodybuilding so I'm sure more kava and less alcohol will not only improve my work life but also my physique.

Anyhow, my first order was the GHK instant sample pack. It took me about 2/3 of the sample pack before I finally started to break through reverse tolerance. Out of them all, I definitely like mahakea the most. It put a smile on my face and seemed to chill me out just the right amount. The moi was nice and made me instantly start getting little/chores and things done but I found it didnt have much in the way of anxiolytic properties. Guess that's the "headiness."

I just put in an order for medium grind GHK papa kea and borogu. I have a feeling that may have been the wrong direction to go in!

As a 23 year old in a happenin town I am looking for a kava useful as a drinking alternative for house parties/nights out at the bars and such with friends. I have been pre-mixing and filling up flasks/bottles to carry it around throughout the night and keep me from wanting to grab a beer.

I get the feeling there is years of great experience on this board which is why I came here first. Does anyone have any recommendations as to great kava for my goal? A good social lubricator/anxiety killer that meshes well with upbeat vibes. I definitely prefer things that make me more extroverted!

Thank you all, this forum is truly wonderful.

 

[kavadude]

Honestly sounds like you're on the right track to me. Stick with Hawaiian, Tongan type kava for their less sedating nature. Not taking too much is probably more important than type for partying since too much can make you sedate and sensitive to light/sound. My gains have improved immensely since I swapped out alcohol for kava, good luck.

 

[theonepercent]

Honestly sounds like you're on the right track to me. Stick with Hawaiian, Tongan type kava for their less sedating nature. Not taking too much is probably more important than type for partying since too much can make you sedate and sensitive to light/sound. My gains have improved immensely since I swapped out alcohol for kava, good luck.

Thanks kavadude. Happy to hear it made a big difference in your bodies health. I hope down the road I get to say the same thing!

 

[Steve Mariotti]

Mo'i for nights out. It's my go to for taking along or going to a party. I have done pure Mo'i batches, Mo'i + KavaBoy and Mo'i + Pouni Ono blends when going out. Fits the bill perfectly. Puts me in a "party space" along with all the drinkers, even though I retain my judgment and ability to speak in terse cogent sentences.

 

[theonepercent]

Mo'i for nights out. It's my go to for taking along or going to a party. I have done pure Mo'i batches, Mo'i + KavaBoy and Mo'i + Pouni Ono blends when going out. Fits the bill perfectly. Puts me in a "party space" along with all the drinkers, even though I retain my judgment and ability to speak in terse cogent sentences.

Hey Steve, I've probably read more of your reviews than any on this site. You put alot out there and I wanted to tell you I appreciate it.

Anyhow, your most striking review was of BHK's Nambawan. The way you described it made it seem far more energetic/dancy/and social than I found MoI to be. When you said Nambawan would be great for a rock concert I felt like I had finally found what I was looking for...Unfortunately its sold out :/

Anyhow, how would you compare these two kavas in terms of putting you in that coveted "party space"...still stand behind moi?

 

[Steve Mariotti]

Hey Steve, I've probably read more of your reviews than any on this site. You put alot out there and I wanted to tell you I appreciate it.

Anyhow, your most striking review was of BHK's Nambawan. The way you described it made it seem far more energetic/dancy/and social than I found MoI to be. When you said Nambawan would be great for a rock concert I felt like I had finally found what I was looking for...Unfortunately its sold out :/

Anyhow, how would you compare these two kavas in terms of putting you in that coveted "party space"...still stand behind moi?

Thanks for the kind words, @theonepercent!

Nambawan is indeed special, though I don't have it that often as I suspect Yangonin is fairly high in the chemotype and sometimes I don't want that much of an energy boost. It can sometimes be "too much" for night time household use. I'm sad to hear it's sold out. I hope Judd's contacts in Vanuatu still have Nambawan available for importation.

Up there with Mo'i and Nambawan are Pouni Ono from Kalm and I think his Fiji Loa Waka is pretty great too, though not as strong and requiring more powder than these others to bring on that feeling. Nambawan was at its most stimulating when mixed with Borongoru, for me. Odd, but very true. I haven't tried a 1:1 Mo'i : Borongoru mix yet, for some reason, though I suspect that could be a pretty great combination as well.

Have you made a *strong* batch of Mo'i? Something on the order of 1 cup of medium grind powder to 2 cups of water? When I mix for a party, I fill a 20oz glass water bottle with a thick Mo'i preparation (and often toss in small amounts of other varieties). When I mix for this purpose, the steeping powder has the consistency of thin oatmeal or thick french toast batter before I strain it. It makes the straining a little more difficult, but the additional potency is appreciated in the midst of a party scene.

it's entirely possible (even probable) that Mo'i doesn't affect you the way it does me and you might not get the same results. Combining known strongly heady varieties may give you a wide enough kavalactone spectrum to do the trick.

Additionally, I had the good fortune of getting my hands on some of Kava Kava 'R Us's Pouni Ono micronized, which I trialed last night. It was the strongest Pouni Ono I've had, at 3 *LEVEL* tablespoons of micro to 18oz of water, amounting to roughly 4 4-5oz shells over an hour and a half. I was really pleased (and blissed) to try it. Micro seems to hit harder. Tonight, I'll be going to see a thrash metal show in the city and taking along a strong batch of Mo'i spiked with Pouni micro.

Good luck!

 

[theonepercent]

Thanks for the kind words, @theonepercent!

Nambawan is indeed special, though I don't have it that often as I suspect Yangonin is fairly high in the chemotype and sometimes I don't want that much of an energy boost. It can sometimes be "too much" for night time household use. I'm sad to hear it's sold out. I hope Judd's contacts in Vanuatu still have Nambawan available for importation.

Up there with Mo'i and Nambawan are Pouni Ono from Kalm and I think his Fiji Loa Waka is pretty great too, though not as strong and requiring more powder than these others to bring on that feeling. Nambawan was at its most stimulating when mixed with Borongoru, for me. Odd, but very true. I haven't tried a 1:1 Mo'i : Borongoru mix yet, for some reason, though I suspect that could be a pretty great combination as well.

Have you made a *strong* batch of Mo'i? Something on the order of 1 cup of medium grind powder to 2 cups of water? When I mix for a party, I fill a 20oz glass water bottle with a thick Mo'i preparation (and often toss in small amounts of other varieties). When I mix for this purpose, the steeping powder has the consistency of thin oatmeal or thick french toast batter before I strain it. It makes the straining a little more difficult, but the additional potency is appreciated in the midst of a party scene.

it's entirely possible (even probable) that Mo'i doesn't affect you the way it does me and you might not get the same results. Combining known strongly heady varieties may give you a wide enough kavalactone spectrum to do the trick.

Additionally, I had the good fortune of getting my hands on some of Kava Kava 'R Us's Pouni Ono micronized, which I trialed last night. It was the strongest Pouni Ono I've had, at 3 *LEVEL* tablespoons of micro to 18oz of water, amounting to roughly 4 4-5oz shells over an hour and a half. I was really pleased (and blissed) to try it. Micro seems to hit harder. Tonight, I'll be going to see a thrash metal show in the city and taking along a strong batch of Mo'i spiked with Pouni micro.

Good luck!

@Steve Mariotti
My research on kava forums today put both pouni ono and nambawan at the top of my "wish list" so to speak. I most definitely want to try pouni ono after your praise..but I don't know if I will go with kava R' us or Kalm tho. I read somewhere they may have merged...so are these the same strains then? If not I may go with Kava R Us pouni ono because it really sounds like you preferred that!

Your continued Moi praise made me sit back and think a little harder on my experiences with it. I lost a little faith in it after having a little less than a tbsp (all i had left from my instant sample pack) after a long shift at work and not feeling much. However, I just realized one of my BEST nights on kava so far was on moi thrown into a flask and taken to my buddies house party. I was really talkative and lovey-dovey with alot of the girls I run into. On that note alone I am going to take your recommendation and order up a 1/2 lb of Moi med grind and take your advice on making a strong batch of moi!

I'm guessing Its tricky in the kava world to find things that bring you up and out rather than downish.

Thanks again for the detailed feedback.
You really seem to have alot of experience when it comes to a lot of the headier kavas.