The nonalcoholic drink aisle isn’t what it used to be. What was once largely limited to near beer and overly sweet mocktails now includes everything from zero-proof spirits to functional sodas designed to make skipping alcohol feel a little less like, well, skipping alcohol.
Now, Nashville-based Kavayn is making a considerably more interesting promise. The alcohol-free spirit is made with kava, a plant traditionally consumed throughout the South Pacific, and, according to the brand, it delivers a calm, feel-good “buzz” without the hangover that comes in tow with alcohol consumption.
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That’s a pretty bold proposition because while plenty of alcohol-free spirits can give you the ritual of making a cocktail, they typically leave one fairly significant part of the drinking experience out of the equation: actually feeling anything.
Kavayn says its kava-infused spirit is different. I recently got my hands on a bottle of its Pineapple Coconut flavor, and as someone who enjoys a good cocktail, I was curious to see whether an alcohol-free spirit could really deliver anything resembling a buzz.
Turns out, I definitely felt…something. Here’s what happened when I tried Kavayn for myself to see if it lives up to the hype as the latest addition to the alcohol-free spirit aisle.
What Is Kavayn?
Courtesy Jim Hoffman
Kavayn is a zero-proof spirit made with noble kava root and designed to be enjoyed much like alcohol. The 750-milliliter bottle contains about 17 servings and retails for $74.99, putting it squarely in premium spirit territory despite containing no alcohol.
The company uses CO2-extracted kava and says its products are batch-tested, with certificates of analysis available through its website. Each 1.5-ounce serving of the noble kava spirit contains 350 milligrams of kavalactones, the naturally occurring psychoactive compounds in kava that causes the effects.
If you’ve never heard of kava, you’re probably not alone. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), kava (Piper methysticum) is a plant native to the islands of the South Pacific and a member of the pepper family. Drinks made from its roots have been consumed throughout Pacific Island cultures for thousands of years.
Kavayn essentially takes that long history and packages kava in a decidedly more familiar form: a sleek bottle meant to be poured, mixed and sipped like a spirit.
There are some important caveats. NCCIH notes that kava may cause side effects, including dizziness and digestive upset. It also advises against combining kava with alcohol or other substances that have sedative effects.
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What Does Kavayn Pineapple Coconut Taste Like?
Courtesy Kavayn
I’ll admit I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I poured my first glass. Kavayn Pineapple Coconut comes out of the bottle a yellow-orange color that’s immediately reminiscent of pineapple juice. The aroma is pure tropical cocktail.
And pineapple is exactly what hits first.
It’s not subtle, but it’s also nowhere near as intense or sweet as drinking straight juice. Coconut follows right behind it, a little more subdued but still distinct enough that you’d recognize it even without reading “Pineapple Coconut” on the bottle.
Then the kava makes itself known.
There’s a definite spirit-like quality on the back of the fruit that’s difficult to compare directly to alcohol. It’s somewhere between the bite of a traditional spirit and a hit of bitter herbs or hops, with a hint of black pepper. And then it’s gone.
The herbal bitterness doesn’t hang around for long. You’ll notice it in the back of the throat as the fruit subsides, and then it vanishes completely. A couple sips in I noticed a faint tingle across my taste buds that makes Kavayn feel surprisingly different from most nonalcoholic drinks I’ve tried.
More importantly, it doesn’t taste like someone simply poured pineapple and coconut flavoring over ice and called it a cocktail alternative. There’s enough complexity and bite to remind you that you’re drinking something intended to take the place of an adult beverage.
Does Kavayn Actually Give You a Buzz?
Courtesy Jim Hoffman
This was the question I really wanted answered.
After finishing a full glass, I started noticing a slight woozy, lightheaded feeling beginning to creep in. It wasn’t the same sensation I get from alcohol, but there was no mistaking the fact that I was feeling something.
What was also noticeable was that, despite the lightheadedness, my mind still felt clear. I didn’t feel mentally foggy or impaired, but physically, there was enough of an effect that it genuinely felt like I’d been imbibing.
And that’s where Kavayn gets interesting.
I’ve had plenty of nonalcoholic beers, wines and spirits that do a respectable job recreating the flavor or ritual of drinking. You pour something into a nice glass, add some ice or a garnish, and get the experience of having a cocktail in your hand. But ultimately, you’re still drinking something that feels like an everyday beverage.
Kavayn was different. The buzz wasn’t identical to alcohol, and I wouldn’t describe it that way. But it was something, and it was noticeable enough that I understood what the company means as a social alternative to drinking. It lands somewhere between not drinking at all and having one cocktail. It tastes and feels enough like a specialty drink to make it seem like you’re actually imbibing, and while the physical effects are mild, they’re not nothing.
Is Kavayn Worth Trying?
Courtesy Jim Hoffman
At $74.99 a bottle, Kavayn certainly isn’t an inexpensive alternative to alcohol. However, it’s also doing something considerably different from the growing number of zero-proof spirits on the market.
The Pineapple Coconut flavor was fruity without becoming cloying, with enough herbal bitterness and bite from the kava to make it feel more like a spirit than a flavored drink. And most importantly, Kavayn delivered on the part of its promise I was most skeptical about: I actually felt a slight buzz.
Was it the same as having a couple of cocktails? No. But that’s maybe not the point. Kavayn doesn’t need to perfectly recreate alcohol to be interesting. It offers its own distinct sensation while allowing me to remain surprisingly clear-headed.
As for the other half of the company’s big promise, the “without the hangover” part, I’ll have to take Kavayn’s word on that one for now. I didn’t drink enough of it to test that claim.
But the buzz? That part I can confirm.
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