How did we enter the Kava wilderness?
The right vibes
Vibes Kava was founded by two avid kava drinkers, Charles and Derek. We didn’t set out to start a kava company, it is just where our kava journey has taken us. And yes, drinking kava is a journey that will take you places.
Charles is a kiwi of Samoan descent who was raised in the US but recently returned to New Zealand. Derek is a Canadian who settled in New Zealand with his family 10 years ago and started really getting into kava during the Covid lockdowns, because why not? Derek began drinking the different kavas that were available in NZ and then began selling them at New Leaf Kombucha Taproom, which he founded seven years ago.
FROM THE HORSES MOUTH
“I noticed more and more people were looking at changing their relationship with alcohol. I did the same and after discovering kava gave up the booze permanently. At the taproom we have turned many people on to kava and have created a large community of happy kava drinkers. You can call me a kava evangelist.”
- Derek
THE LAST STRAW
While Charles knew about kava it was after he met Derek and succumbed to his enthusiasm that Charles began to drink it regularly too.
One day, after seeing Derek upset again after constantly running out of stock due to supplier issues which he had no control over, Charles blurted out, “Hey, we should start a kava company!” And thus, Vibes Kava was born.
