American kava culture is inspired by the hundreds of nakamals (kava bars) in the Melanesian island country of Vanuatu in the South Pacific, where locals go to buy coconut shells full of kava tea to drink, sit at picnic tables, and relax with friends or conduct casual business, Tyler Blythe, co-founder of the Root of Happiness Kava Bar, told The Epoch Times via email.
American kava bars are modeled after these nakamals and serve much the same purpose: a place to enjoy kava tea while providing an alcohol-free social environment that is free from the headaches of alcohol consumption, Blythe said.
