Kava is an uncommon ingredient in cocktails. Here are two recipes from a luxury resort in Fiji that make use of the yaqona plant root known for its mildly sedative properties.
Kava Cocktails: L-R – Cucumber; Carrot & Ginger – Photo © Cocktails & Bars
Kava is a traditional Fijian drink which plays a major part in Fijian culture. The non-alcoholic beverage is made from the crushed root of the yaqona plant (kava root), mixed with water and strained into a large communal kava bowl. The Fijian ceremonial drink has mild sedative properties leaving a pleasant numbness around the mouth, lips and tongue. The taste is often described as “muddy water” or “bitter” and it is slightly reminiscent of a key botanical in gin, the orris root.
Kava is not a common ingredient in cocktails and during a recent stay at Likuliku Lagoon Resort in Fiji, the bartender shared the following kava cocktail recipes with us.
The cocktails are easy to make provided you can get hold of kava. The first recipe combines the earthy and bitter notes of kava with ginger, carrot and orange juice in a vodka-based cocktail. The flavour spectrum ranges from the freshness of the juices combined with an alcoholic kick, to a gentle ginger spice note before the bitterness and earthiness of the kava kicks in, leaving a lingering and very pleasant numbness of the tongue. The second cocktail is a Caipirihna style with vodka, kava, raw sugar, lime and cucumber juice.
Kava may be difficult to source and at the time of visit to Fiji, people coming into Australia who are over the age of 18 years were entitled to bring 2 kg of kava (in the root or dried form only) for personal use.
Kava Cocktails:
Recipes by Likuliku Lagoon Resort, Fiji
1. Kava Carrot and Ginger Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
- 60 ml vodka
- 2 small pieces of ginger, muddled
- half a lime, muddled
- 2 heaped barspoons of kava powder
- 45 ml carrot juice, freshly pressed
- 45 ml orange juice, freshly squeezed and strained
Glassware: rocks glass
Garnish: mint sprig
Method
In a cocktail shaker, muddle the ginger, lime and add the rest of the ingredients over ice. Shake very hard to make sure the kava powder is well combined. Fine strain into a chilled rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a mint sprig.
2. Kava and Cucumber Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
- 60 ml vodka
- 1.5 heaped barspoons of kava powder
- 1 barspoon of raw sugar
- half a lime, muddled
- 60 ml cucumber juice, freshly juiced
Glassware: rocks glass
Garnish: mint sprig
Method
In a cocktail shaker, muddle the lime, add the rest of the ingredients over ice and shake very hard to ensure the kava powder is well combined. Fine strain into a chilled rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a mint sprig.
