What Is Kava? A Guide to the Traditional Pacific Beverage If you've never visited a kava bar before, your first question is probably a simple one: What exactly is kava? Kava is a traditional beverage made from Piper methysticum, a plant of the pepper family cultivated throughout parts of the Pacific Islands. Kava has a long history in Pacific Island communities, where traditions surrounding its preparation and use have developed over generations. Today, kava has traveled far