So today I went across the bay to Berkeley from Marin County where I live to try out a newly opened kava bar, which I was delighted to discover this week. I was thrilled to find a kava bar within half an hour's drive time from my house.
http://melomelokavabar.com/
I grabbed a friend and kava newbie, enticed him with my tales of kava appreciation and love, dispelled his fears about liver toxicity with the kava.guru site, and conned him into a Sunday trip over to Telegraph road to check out their facility.
Nico, one of the founders, served us kava at the long natural wood bar and talked to us a bit about their history, why they started a nakamal in Northern California and what their plans were for the bar. The space is a long narrow hall with the bar and stools occupying one side, and comfy lounge chairs and coffee tables occupying the other. They had just brewed up a big batch of Fijian Waka, and so my friend and I had a few shells, chewed on some pineapple and drank some ginger kombucha and water from a liter flask he served us. This was my first time drinking kava in a social setting and trying out the whole nakamal social situation and I really liked the atmosphere and the company. I usually drink my kava alone at home or, if I brew up a jar full for the road, at a party where I'm the only one drinking it. Being around other kava drinkers was really cool.
Nico was knowledgeable and loved to talk kava, which was a breath of fresh air for me since I have no one to talk to about besides you guys here on the forum. He told me that they have had more business than they expected and were often brewing twice what they'd anticipated for the day. Apparently from 11pm onward, especially on weekends, is their rush hour. I can understand that considering the Berkeley campus was a stone's throw from their location.
I had four shells of the Fijian to my friend's two. One of them was on-the-house, which really made me feel at home and appreciated there as a guy with a passion for the stuff.
Pretty soon my friend and I were deeply engaged in story telling and a few hours rolled by while we sat first at the bar and then moved to the couches. The Fijian was a balanced kava with a nice pink-cheeked headiness and it wasn't too immobilizing. Nico told me that they usually serve a Vanuatu kava but their grinder had broken the day before. I'm very interested in trying their root that's ground on-site some time. They also serve a number of fruity flavor variations on tea and kava and fruit juices as well as having four types of kombucha on tap.
My friend was very impressed by the whole experience, and I had an absolute blast. I'm definitely going to make this a destination in the future and it's a great alternative to meeting up with friends at a bar or at a coffee shop.
I really want Melomelo to succeed, as they're pioneering kava in this area. Root of Happiness is all the way over in Sacramento (though I hear they're opening another one in Davis) and out of my reach for a "meet you there" kind of impromptu get together with friends. But now I have at least one compatriot and partner in crime who teetotals and wants to get together over some shells.
If you live in the area, check them out! I can't recommend them enough!
http://melomelokavabar.com/
I grabbed a friend and kava newbie, enticed him with my tales of kava appreciation and love, dispelled his fears about liver toxicity with the kava.guru site, and conned him into a Sunday trip over to Telegraph road to check out their facility.
Nico, one of the founders, served us kava at the long natural wood bar and talked to us a bit about their history, why they started a nakamal in Northern California and what their plans were for the bar. The space is a long narrow hall with the bar and stools occupying one side, and comfy lounge chairs and coffee tables occupying the other. They had just brewed up a big batch of Fijian Waka, and so my friend and I had a few shells, chewed on some pineapple and drank some ginger kombucha and water from a liter flask he served us. This was my first time drinking kava in a social setting and trying out the whole nakamal social situation and I really liked the atmosphere and the company. I usually drink my kava alone at home or, if I brew up a jar full for the road, at a party where I'm the only one drinking it. Being around other kava drinkers was really cool.
Nico was knowledgeable and loved to talk kava, which was a breath of fresh air for me since I have no one to talk to about besides you guys here on the forum. He told me that they have had more business than they expected and were often brewing twice what they'd anticipated for the day. Apparently from 11pm onward, especially on weekends, is their rush hour. I can understand that considering the Berkeley campus was a stone's throw from their location.
I had four shells of the Fijian to my friend's two. One of them was on-the-house, which really made me feel at home and appreciated there as a guy with a passion for the stuff.
Pretty soon my friend and I were deeply engaged in story telling and a few hours rolled by while we sat first at the bar and then moved to the couches. The Fijian was a balanced kava with a nice pink-cheeked headiness and it wasn't too immobilizing. Nico told me that they usually serve a Vanuatu kava but their grinder had broken the day before. I'm very interested in trying their root that's ground on-site some time. They also serve a number of fruity flavor variations on tea and kava and fruit juices as well as having four types of kombucha on tap.
My friend was very impressed by the whole experience, and I had an absolute blast. I'm definitely going to make this a destination in the future and it's a great alternative to meeting up with friends at a bar or at a coffee shop.
I really want Melomelo to succeed, as they're pioneering kava in this area. Root of Happiness is all the way over in Sacramento (though I hear they're opening another one in Davis) and out of my reach for a "meet you there" kind of impromptu get together with friends. But now I have at least one compatriot and partner in crime who teetotals and wants to get together over some shells.
If you live in the area, check them out! I can't recommend them enough!
