Tucked in the back end of the repurposed Waialua Sugar Mill, Ava Taesali prepares to open her kava bar by putting up her paper-made menus and prepping the traditional Pacific beverage.
Her name, Ava (aw-VAH), suits her because it means kava in Samoan.
From making kava at farmers markets to opening up a brick-and-mortar on O'ahu, Taesali has made a name for herself as the Kava Queen Kava Bar owner.
“I have always been drawn to it,” Taesali said of the cultural drink.
Kava is a traditional beverage made from the roots of the plant Piper methysticum, a member of the pepper family that includes black pepper.
Pacific Islanders have historically used kava throughout the Pacific region for cultural ceremonies, social gatherings and medicinal purposes.
It’s considered a sacred plant in Pacific Islander cultures, according to Taesali, who added that every culture has various kava ceremonies with different kava bowls.
“It’s all about connection, overcoming obstacles in our village, and sitting down, honoring your guests,” Taesali said. “Everything Pacific Islanders are about, family and love.”
Humble beginnings
Born and raised in Davis, California, Taesali grew up with alcoholic parents. She remembers calling the cops on her mother when things escalated between her mother and father. She recalled her older brother asking every year for his birthday for his parents to stop drinking.
As she got older, Taesali wanted to make a change for herself while connecting others with the culture of kava.
“Since I was little, I've had this drive to create something different because I've been trying to escape that part of my life forever,” she said. “But having my kava business makes me feel fulfilled.”
She worked at a kava bar in California for five years before moving to Hawaiʻi to pursue her own kava business. Four years ago, she founded Kava Queen and slowly but surely built a following.
Customers of different backgrounds have come through her doors. Some come to explore the taste of kava; others come because they have high social anxiety and need to relax, and others are recovering alcoholics.
“Kava can be a good crutch for people who are going through things or trying to get other substances and alcohol,” she said.
The art of kava
Taesali takes the crushed and grounded root of the plant and pours it into a strainer. Then she pours water into her kava bowl engraved with tribal designs, before dipping the strainer into the water.
She continues soaking and squeezing the kava-filled strainer until the water becomes light brown.
The taste of kava depends on where it’s from. But it has a numbing effect on the tongue.
“Every kava is different,” she said.
She refers to the state of kava as heady and heavy — sometimes, the taste is a balance of both.
She said Samoan kava has a nuttier, creamier flavor, while Fiji kava is smooth but heady.
“Sometimes you can drink certain Fijian kava, and you get a boost,” she said.
According to Taesali, Hawaiian kava is lighter in color and taste. Its green color means the plant was not dried.
Her menu is straightforward — every beverage has kava.
She’s been making the drink for a decade, mixing traditional kava with limeade, mocktails, and even horchata to give it a new spin. Her recommendation to customers is the mango-coconut kava drink.
While the state has recognized kava as generally safe to consume, the Food and Drug Administration still hasn’t approved it for consumption.
Taesali underscored the relaxing impacts of kava.
“I love kava because you’re mentally clear,” Taesali said. “Unlike other substances, kava will never and should never affect your mental clarity.”
A growing business
Last October, Taesali made the jump to run a brick-and-mortar in Waialua. Her kava bar is at the Silos at the Waialua Sugar Mill. She and other business owners and artists have revamped the place to make it more inviting to guests.
They painted the Silos from white to yellow, put in concrete floors, laid out gravel and installed outdoor lighting.
“I’m crazy for that, but I did it,” she said. “When I’m in the Silo in the evening, and there’s a breeze, you can go inside or outside. I love my little location, and it’s cool.”
But one month, business was slow. Taesali was afraid she wouldn’t make rent, so she called for help on social media.
Her post on TikTok garnered more than 26,000 likes and over 800 shares.
“It's just part of business, up and down, but summer should be good. Fingers crossed,” she said.
With the growing trend of kava bars in the continental U.S., Taesali wants her drinks to be affordable, costing no more than $12.
So far, Taesali has hired one employee. She hopes to hire at least two more to grow her business.
“For anyone who wants to come to the kava bar, just come and relax,” she said. “It’s a whole experience, and it’s super fun.”
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