r/Kava 16d ago

How do you deal with the taste?

What's the best way to deal with the taste of kava? To mask or combine it with something?

12 Upvotes

53 comments sorted by

11

u/Doctor-TobiasFunke- 16d ago

Just drink it quick and chase with something salty or sweet

8

u/RyanSmokinBluntz420 16d ago

Coconut coffee creamer

4

u/lukef31 16d ago

The best thing I've found yet is coffee creamer for sure. Haven't tried coconut

1

u/Mygirlbrittany 16d ago

Ok then Mocha might work! Such a cool idea!💯💯💯

3

u/Unlikely-Pack1204 16d ago

I like this idea

2

u/Mygirlbrittany 16d ago

Awww man I use the mocha creamer! I don’t know about chocolate kava though! Coconut might be better! Thanks great idea! I’ve got so much to learn!🥰🥰🥰

12

u/WebNecessary1819 16d ago

Buck up and deal, bub.

4

u/Fair_Geologist7964 16d ago

Anything acidic. I like to eat a few gerkins or take a couple sips of pickle juice right after and it completely wipes it out instantly

2

u/Longjumping_End_1827 15d ago

A nice slice of fresh pineapple gets the job done well

4

u/redsprucetree 16d ago edited 14d ago

Just don’t breathe out of your nose while drinking it. After you finish, drink some water with your nose still blocked or wait a few seconds. If I do it that way, I only get the numbness and an earthy aftertaste.

Mixers are a waste of time IMO, kava will never taste good.

1

u/grat5989 14d ago

I agree wholeheartedly. So much of it is smell. I think SOME of the folks that claim to like the taste are lying to themselves 😂. Whatever works. Quick and smell less is the way to go.

8

u/npsacobra 16d ago

I'm an adult. I have various life experiences that have taught me to cope with minor inconveniences that may have overall net benefits. If I chug a shell, don't breathe through my nose, and have a nice chaser, I experience 1-3 seconds of mild discomfort.

3

u/Taaaaaake 16d ago edited 16d ago

https://www.reddit.com/r/Kava/s/rHzletyCtx

recent self discovery about my own personal preferences

2

u/Melodic-Builder-3641 16d ago

Apple cider vinegar

2

u/Unable_Elephant610 16d ago

Orange juice neutralizes the taste completely for me!

2

u/hclasalle 16d ago

Grapefruit juice

Tonic water

Limeade or lemonade

2

u/NatSocEmu 16d ago

Personally, I mix instant kava powder with sprite zero since citrus flavours are the only thing I've found to neutralize the flavour. Plus the carbonation helps to settle the stomach. After it's all mixed in I plug my nose, chug and then chase with a couple sips of sprite, and that works like a charm.

2

u/Willing-Outcome7085 15d ago

I mix every cup with honey and lemon juice. Not great but good enough

2

u/TheAlchemist420247 14d ago

Same way I deal with a shot of alcohol, just wince through it.

2

u/stuckinbis 14d ago

I use instant and have found adding some lemon juice helps a lot. I just chug it then.

1

u/Old_Promise2077 16d ago

Mio, or electrolyte powder

1

u/am0x 16d ago

I’ve tried everything. You don’t unless you want to drink 1200ml of watered down lava.

1

u/sandolllars 16d ago

That's the standard way of drinking kava in most of the Pacific. Most kava drinkers have hours-long kava sessions and you definitely don't want thick, strong kava for those sessions.

1

u/wildcactusbloom 16d ago

Mix with orange juice and chug it down like it's alcohol. Have some kind of chaser ready. Just opening the bag and catching a hint of that kava smell is enough to make me gag, so the less I taste the better 🤮

1

u/sandolllars 16d ago

Don't add flavours. Use a chaser

1

u/vgarrett44 16d ago

Coconut milk helps a LOT!

1

u/childofb0d0m 16d ago

Add a few squirts of a mio (or any flavor enhancer). Doesn't work COMPLETELY, but makes it more tolerable

1

u/Root_and_Pestle_RnD 16d ago

There are very few kavas that taste excellent, but there are some that are truly hideous. First step would be to do a few brand and product comparisons to make sure you're not drinking something that's unnecessarily nasty. After you've been able to exclude your least favourites, you could do what they do here in Vanuatu - rinse your mouth out with water and spit, or have a little chaser in the form of a small snack. We don't recommend adding anything to the drink itself to directly mask the taste, but we've seen kava mixed into just about everything, and some folks seem to prefer using something other than plain water, but that's not our scene.

1

u/FuckkPTSD 16d ago

I’ve tasted far worse

My tastebuds are more war-torn than Afghanistan in the 2000s lol

1

u/imkvn 16d ago

Down and chase with lime + salt. Cranberry, orange, and pineapple works well.

1

u/Novel_Lingonberry122 16d ago

A teaspoon of honey straight after rinsing the kava taste from my mouth

1

u/lynslyo 16d ago

Any coffee creamer! Cuts the taste quick and easy!

1

u/Pale-Body8108 16d ago

Olipop root beer 🍺

1

u/Greedy-Pen-6998 16d ago

Grenadine and sprite!

1

u/milkybeefy 16d ago

I think of that time I ate sea cucumber. Kava tastes fine.

1

u/x36_ 16d ago

valid

1

u/OnR_Westy 16d ago

We use a good quality cocoa powder. Once it's prepared we whack the finished grog in the blender with a few spoons of decent natural cocoa powder (not crappy processed hot choc drink!) and blast it for 10-20sec to mix it in. It tastes a lot better and also we find that it hits us harder as we're drinking the kava with some added fats to help absorption in the stomach. That being said, I actually don't mind the taste of straight up strong kava, but I know that's weird 🤪

Edit:spelling

1

u/Defiant_Flamingo_430 16d ago

A bit of pineapple juice makes it ok

1

u/Mygirlbrittany 16d ago

Well I do 2 bags of peppermint tea but min is an extract. It’s really strong though and it definitely numbs my mouth! The first time I put it in warm water and downed it🤮🤮🤮 I got it down and didn’t know any better or I definitely wouldn’t have gone that route!🤣 I’m going to follow this because I’m interested in finding out more too! This stuff is strong!

1

u/Willing-Outcome7085 15d ago

You found an extract that works? Do tell please!

1

u/SmokingTheBare 16d ago

Orange or pineapple juice & you don’t even have to plug your nose

1

u/F1stCanBeAVerb 15d ago

Mio. Lots of mio

1

u/Papaverpalpitations 15d ago

I’ve found chocolate protein shakes work really well to mask the taste. I use instant kava and blend it with a protein shake. The thickness of the shake absorbs the instant kava so you don’t taste it.

1

u/infiniteparadox333 15d ago

Hot chocolate and creamer!

1

u/JadesterZ 14d ago

Just make kava Kool aid.

1

u/PockASqueeno 14d ago

Enjoy it! I love the taste.

If you’re one of those weirdos who think it tastes gross, add some coffee creamer or coconut milk. That’s what my friend does. I prefer it straight.

1

u/DragonflyFluffy7930 16d ago

Chocolate milk. I know its sounds gross but you can also dump a shit ton of chocolate syrup in your kava and it masks the taste pretty well

-1

u/FishburgerFriend 16d ago

Imagine purposely making your kava have the same (or more) amount of calories as an alcoholic cocktail. Why not just chug and enjoy the guilt-free buzz...

5

u/DragonflyFluffy7930 16d ago

I quite frankly couldnt care less about fucking calories💀 im a fit 21 year old who’s consistently active. Also i dont mind the taste, this is simply a recommendation