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 (his grandfather Ted Keil is from Samoa). Charles was raised in the US but recently returned to New Zealand. He found kava as a way to connect with his culture. 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. He began regularly drinking the different kavas that were available in NZ at that time.
Charles' Journey
“Honestly, I wasn't as connected to kava until moving back here and experiencing it with my family and at Four Shells. Kava has really started to change the way I live my life. I was drinking too much just to be social in New Zealand, and started to learn the value and connection that kava brings instead. You never walk into a kava bar and feel anger or agression. You feel like you're coming home for family dinner and everyone's been waiting for you with a big smile. I am just hoping to share those smiles as much as I can.”
- Charles
Connecting with the people
We began selling different kavas in the shop and it grew increasingly popular with our customers. Many told us discovering kava was “life changing.” It allowed them to move away from damaging social habits, such as drinking alcohol. Kava gave them peace, relieved anxiety and helped with sleep. With such encouragement, Charles’ interest continued to grow. He wanted to dive deep into kava and suggested to Derek we should start our own kava business. And thus, Vibes Kava was born.
We decided to learn more about kava and flew out to Vanuatu and met many local farmers. In our time there we fell even more in love with kava. It truly must be why the country is constantly ranked as the happiest in the world. We connected with one local farmer who aligned with our values, and who could provide the most ethically sourced, cleanest, high quality kava available. Buying our kava directly supports this farm and his employees and their families who we've become so close to.
We're excited to continue to expand our knowledge of kava and do our best to learn more and make the cultural significance of this magical root known to everyone, one shell at a time.
