AMAZING~BALLS OF BLISS FAIRIES!!!
Aumakua Kava Lounge
Paia towns first kava bar on the north shore of Maui featuring luxurious tiki inspired kava mocktails and non kava elixirs. The key to our success is using mostly house made syrups and fresh ingredients mixing exotic flavors, elegant decor, fun glassware all presented with tiki chic flair.
This is one stop not to miss on the road to Hana if you want to try a traditional polynesian drink straight out of a coconut shell. The knowledgeable staff can lead you through the basics of the Hawaiian or Fijian way to drink kava (awa). It’s nice to start with the traditional toast and then indulge in one of the many Tiki inspired kava mocktails like the fish bowl served in a glass fish with a beautiful lychee orchid garnish. If you’re on your honeymoon or just getting married try our signature flaming scorpion bowl that serves two and is set on fire right in front of you.
The kava is strong, the drinks are truly amazing, and the kava tenders are friendly and knowledgable. Come by and check us out.
What is Kava?
Kava, awa in Hawaiian, also called kava-kava, is a local beverage of the South Pacific Islands made from the kava root (Piper mestythecin). The word kava refers both to the plant and the earthy potent kava drink produced from its roots. Pure kava has a very earthy flavor and makes the tongue numb because kava has analgesic or pain relieving properties. If you can get past the taste, which many actually like, you find yourself feeling a sense of expansion, centeredness, connection and increased access to emotional intelligence. It is used in ceremonies with chiefs and warriors as well as social gatherings. Kava is consumed throughout the Pacific Oceanic cultures of Polynesia including Hawaii, Vanuatu, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Tonga, and by the Maori in New Zealand. Kava is used for wedding receptions, ho’opono pono ceremonies, spending time with family talking story with friends, for blessings or special events of any kind.
Don’t forget to sign up for our text club to stay up-to-date on the latest kava news, promotions, and events. And if you’re in the area, be sure to visit our kava lounge, where you can enjoy a relaxing kava drink and connect with other kava enthusiasts.
What are some of the effects?
It melts away stress with it’s muscle relaxing properties without impairing mental clarity. Many people report using kava for nervous tension, since it reduces social inhibitions and makes people feel more comfortable. The outcome usually results in more authenticity and truly great conversations. Often called the root of happiness. Technically is shown to increases dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine relates to feelings of contentment, pleasure, motivation and creativity. All of these are enhanced from drinking kava especially if drinking a kava that is higher in #4 Kavain. People claim that it gently soothes away any aches and pains in the body. This is backed by research which show Dihydromethysticin, a compound in Kava that directly realtes to it’s mild pain relieving effects.
Kava Ceremonies
In Fiji, as in most cultures, the ceremony is done seated in a circle usually on a lauhala mat with the Tanoa bowl (large carved wooden bowl) in the center. The Chief would sit opposite the man preparing the kava or next to them, and would receive the first bowl of Kava. The person receiving the kava is asked low tide, high tide, or tsunami depending on how full they want the shell. Then the person receiving the kava claps once, says Bula (which loosely translates to love or blessings) and then drinks it down in one shot. After drinking the entire shell of kava they clap three times and say ‘matha’ which means the cup is empty. The shell is given back to be used for the next person.
In Tonga they say Ofa Atu which means love to you or best wishes instead of Bula but the essence of the meaning is the same. In Hawaii the first shell is poured onto the earth as an offering to the ‘aina the land that provides food and nourishment. Then the fingers are dipped in the shell of kava and splashed behind for the ( na ‘aumakua) ancestors or those that came before us, in front for descendants those that will come after us, and above for the (Akua) Gods. The information presented here is purely offered to give a very rudimentary description of some practices of how different polynesian cultures offer respect and honor the sacredness of the Kava root and is no way complete.
There is a strong spiritual component to the preparation, use and stories about Kava. It is reveered as a mystical plant considered one of rhe elixirs of the Gods. It was said to have been used in ancient times to increase intuitive powers and connection with the many Gods of the Hawaiian legends. Kane and Kanaloa often drink kava together in ancient Hawaiian myth. Kahuna, the priestly class of the Hawaiian Islands, considered certain varieties of kava especially useful for communing with the gods and spirits. The black hiwa variety was prized by kahuna as a divinatory aid that let them bring back knowledge from the spirit realm.” https://kava.com/hawaiian-gods/
Our Kava
We are your one-stop-shop for high-quality packaged kava products too! We are proud to offer a wide selection of kava strains and products, sourced directly from trusted farmers in the South Pacific.
Our mission is to provide you with the best kava experience possible, whether you’re a longtime kava drinker or trying it for the first time. Our products are carefully selected and tested to ensure the highest quality and potency, so you can enjoy the full benefits of kava.
Browse our selection of kava products, including the finest cultivars of 100% lateral root and traditional grind powdered kava, kava extracts, and more. We also offer a variety of kava accessories, including kava bowls, strainers, and coconut shells.
At Aumakuakava.com, we offer a wide selection of high-quality kava products, sourced directly from trusted farmers in the South Pacific. Our products are carefully tested to ensure the highest quality and potency, so you can enjoy the full benefits of kava.
Browse our selection of kava products, including traditional powdered kava, kava extracts, and more. Our kava is available in various strains and strengths to suit your personal preferences and needs.
We are committed to providing you with the best kava experience possible, so if you have any questions about our products, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re always happy to help!
Our Kava is organically grown and is aged 5-7 years before harvest for potency. Our house kava comes from Vanuatu, but we offer kava from the Solomon Islands, local kava (HanaKapi’ai or Mo’i) from Molokai as well as Isa a strain from Papua New Guinea grown locally on Big Island.
We like to offer a variety of the best kava with a mix of kavalactones offering a range of effects from euphoric and uplifting, to relaxing and calming, to painrelief and muscle relaxation. The offerings and effects will vary.
Ask your Kava tender what we are serving up. We offer some of the strongest kava on Island which should give you muscle relaxing effects and help you feel more centered, relaxed and uplifted after about 3 to 5 shells depending on your sensitivity.
Kava has a reverse tolerance, which means you need to drink more the first few times you drink it to feel an effect. Over time you may notice that you actually need less to feel the same effect. If you are looking to feel the more euphoric effects of kava you will need to consume 5– 10 shells over the course of the evening especially if you are newer to kava. We also offer Kava growlers to to go (32oz and 64 oz), kava concentrates, and packaged kava to take home.
What is an ‘Aumakua?‘
A traditional Hawaiian saying tells us that an ʻaumakua is “ʻAno lani; ʻano honua.” This means an ʻaumakua is a being of both a mystical and an earthly nature.” An ʻaumakua is believed to be an ancestor that has passed away and visits the earth plane in a different form than when alive, usually an animal. ‘Aumakua are personal messengers that offer guidance, warnings or messages to their decendants, either in dreams or by their physical presence. Each family usually has one ‘aumakua that stays with the famlily throughout generations.
There is a bond between the family lineage and the ʻaumakua. The ʻaumakua is the guardian or ancestor protector of the family. The living family members offer respect and honor the ‘aumakua through making offerings and listening to the warnings. It is important to never act direspectfuly, or behave in a way that would anger the ʻaumakua. Traditionaly prayer and in the past sacrifices (kaumaha ʻai) were offered to the ʻaumakua such as pigs, chickens, dogs, or fish. Other traditional offerings are young kalo leaves. The highest offering one can give their ‘aumakua is Kava. It was a traditon for people with the shark as their ‘aumakua to pur some kava into the ocean offering it to the sharks.