Kava Bars in Denver, CO
Alcohol-free by nature: kava bars pour the South Pacific root drink that fills a bar-shaped hole in a night out — social, late-open, and zero-proof. These are the Denver spots we've verified are open and pouring.
11 verified kava bars
- NA Program Strength: 5 of 5?
Kavasutra Denver is a fully alcohol-free kava and kratom social lounge on the Capitol Hill / East Colfax stretch, part of the Florida-founded Kavasutra chain and among the first true kava bars within Denver city limits. The house specialty is kava imported directly from Vanuatu and served in traditional "shells," alongside kratom teas, loose-leaf and herbal teas, cold brew coffee, and fizzy kombucha-style drinks. Open daily from 10am to 2am, it functions as a late-night, no-alcohol gathering spot — the kind of place Westword has noted draws people who don't drink or are getting sober. One important caveat: it is alcohol-free but not substance-free — it serves kratom, an active and controversial botanical that some reviewers describe as habit-forming.
- NA Program Strength: 5 of 5?
That's Kava is an alcohol-free kava bar on South Broadway in Englewood, on the southern end of the Denver metro's Broadway corridor. The venue states plainly on its own site that "We are an alcohol free establishment" and describes itself as a sober bar. It trades from 8am until 2:30am, which makes it one of the latest-closing alcohol-free rooms in the metro, and it programmes trivia, bingo and board-game nights most evenings of the week. Readers should know what is actually being served: alongside kava, the traditional South Pacific root drink, That's Kava pours kratom and other psychoactive ethnobotanicals, and Colorado law restricts kratom sales to over-21s. The drinks list is organised into kava, teas, on-tap, shots, mocktails and a high-potency "extreme" section.
- NA Program Strength: 5 of 5?
The Karma House is an alcohol-free kava bar at 608 Garrison Street in Lakewood, just west of Denver — a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit run by co-owners Nick Gnieski, Mollie Paige and Deonna Lupola, open 8am to 3am daily including holidays. Its drinks run from freshly brewed kava to a long retail shelf: Leilo kava at $8, Kin Euphorics at $6, Hiyo at $5, Sir Inkwell's yerba maté at $6, Odyssey mushroom elixirs at $5, Rowdy Mermaid kombucha at $4 and Karma Water at $4. ALCOHOL-FREE BUT NOT SUBSTANCE-FREE, and unusually explicit about it: alongside kava it sells kratom in several forms — Mitra 9 seltzers at $8 (20mg kratom extract per can), White Rabbit at $8, Kiody by vein colour at $40, Krabot capsules at $35 — plus CBD soda at $5 (20mg), CBD chocolate at $10, and chewables combining kratom extract, kava and blue lotus. It publishes a dated Legal & Safety Policy: kratom is 21-and-over with photo ID required and kept behind the counter, and it warns against combining botanical drinks with alcohol. No per-gram dosage table is published. The freshly brewed kava itself carries no published price.
- NA Program Strength: 5 of 5?
Peak Kava is the Lakewood branch of Roots & Leaves, a seven-strong kava bar group operating across Colorado and New Mexico. The venue states its position without hedging: "Peak Kava is a non-alcoholic bar dedicated to nurturing social connections without alcohol", and the group markets itself under the line "join the sober shift". It is fitted out as a bar rather than a cafe — two pool tables, giant Jenga, a multicade, a fireplace, bar seating and lounge seating — and runs happy hours from 5pm to 7pm and again from 10pm to midnight. The drinks are kava and ethnobotanical teas, both psychoactive: the house tea blends include blue lotus, California poppy, wild lettuce and white willow, and the kava is served traditionally by the shell or CO2-extracted.
- NA Program Strength: 5 of 5?
Mile High Kava is the Westminster branch of the Roots & Leaves group, on the northwest edge of the Denver metro. The venue describes itself as "a unique 18+ non-alcoholic tea and kava bar experience, perfect for those who prefer to socialize without alcohol", and it is programmed like a bar rather than a tea room: a stage for open-mic nights and karaoke, two pool tables, Skee-Ball, darts, couches and a full-size bar. It also has a kid-friendly area with toys, and hookah is available. Drinks are house-brewed kava and a range of traditional and ethnobotanical teas, both psychoactive plant preparations rather than soft drinks. Happy hours run three times a day, including a late slot from 10pm to midnight.
- NA Program Strength: 5 of 5?
Denver Café & Kava opened on East Colfax in Park Hill in early 2026 as a deliberate zero-proof hangout — a room designed so that there is no pressure to drink, rather than a bar with a good alternatives list. It runs 7am to 2am every day of the week, which is the longest trading day of any alcohol-free venue in the city. The menu covers kava, mocktails, coffee and a range of Chinese and Vietnamese teas, plus small bites, and the calendar is community-led: open-mic nights, local vendor markets and themed parties. The founding team — Kevin Bloom, Elizabeth Leung, Cam Webbe, Jayden MacDonald and Jack Kestian — met as customers at Golden Kava Lounge, west of the city, and built this one together.
- NA Program Strength: 5 of 5?
Royal Kumete is a Polynesian-owned and operated kava lounge on South Broadway, just north of Evans, and it is the only venue in the Denver metro that frames itself first as a cultural room and second as an alcohol alternative. The house line — where tradition meets tranquility — describes a programme built on the traditional serving of kava with a modern presentation, named for the kumete, the carved wooden bowl kava is prepared and shared from across the South Pacific. It is an evening venue rather than a café, opening at 5pm and running late, in a stretch of South Broadway otherwise given over to tattoo shops, vintage stores and bars. Kava is served; the lounge does not serve alcohol.
- NA Program Strength: 5 of 5?
Kava Chris is a small alcohol-free kava bar at 2601 West Hampden Avenue in Sheridan, in the Denver metro, open unusually late — 9am to 2am on weekdays and to 4am on Saturday, with complimentary pool tables. Its menu is short and cheap: a single shell of kava (10oz) is $8, a double (16oz) is $15, a specialty kava is $9 and an extract is $8. Boba is $2 and a lime or lemon 50 cents, with seventeen house syrups — from lavender and orgeat to passion fruit, salted caramel and Swiss chocolate — at 50 cents each. Food is minimal: ramen at $2, chips at $1. ALCOHOL-FREE BUT NOT SUBSTANCE-FREE: alongside the kava it serves kratom, listed plainly under its own "Kratom Tea" heading rather than under a euphemism — green, white or red at $8, or an extract at $10. PLEASE NOTE: unlike some other Colorado kava bars, we could find no published dosage guidance, age policy or health warning anywhere on its website, even though Colorado law requires kratom sales to be 21-and-over with photo ID. Ask at the counter before ordering.
- NA Program Strength: 5 of 5?
KavaDen runs from 9am to 3am every day of the week in a Lakewood strip unit on West Hampden, which makes it the latest-closing alcohol-free room in the Denver metro. The fit-out is a curved bar under neon, with an open layout, comfortable seating and no loud music — built for conversation rather than for volume — and games and puzzles are left out for people to use. It serves no food, so eat first. Happy hour runs 8pm to 10pm daily at half price. IMPORTANT for readers in recovery: alongside kava the menu carries kratom teas and CBD options. Kratom acts on opioid receptors and carries dependence and withdrawal risk that kava does not, so it is worth asking what is in a given cup.
- NA Program Strength: 5 of 5?
The Karma Casa is an alcohol-free kava bar on Youngfield Street in the Applewood area of Golden, open daily from 10am to 2am. It states its purpose directly: a safe, alcohol-free space for work, arts, games and community building — so the room is set up for people to occupy for hours rather than to pass through, and it works as a daytime workspace and a late-night alternative from the same fit-out. Happy hour runs twice daily, 2pm to 4pm and again 7pm to 9pm. The menu covers kava, kratom and herbal teas. IMPORTANT for readers in recovery: kratom acts on opioid receptors and carries real dependence and withdrawal risk, which kava does not — the two are poured side by side here, so order deliberately.
- NA Program Strength: 5 of 5?
Golden Kava Lounge describes itself as having the vibe of a coffee shop mixed with a nightclub, and that is a fair account of a room that serves kava teas, hosts live music, game nights and themed events, and stays open into the small hours without a drop of alcohol on the premises. It sits on South Golden Road at the western edge of the metro, and its influence on the Colorado scene is larger than its size suggests: the five founders of Denver Café & Kava, now open on East Colfax, met each other here as customers before opening their own room in the city. The list runs kava, exotic teas and specialty products.
New to kava? Here's the two-minute version
Kava is the ground root of Piper methysticum whisked into water — the traditional social drink of Fiji, Vanuatu, and Tonga, where it has anchored gatherings for centuries. It contains no alcohol. The active compounds (kavalactones) are mildly relaxing: the usual description is a calm, easy sociability, with a clear head.
A kava bar works like a regular bar with the pressure removed. You order at the counter — a traditional shell, or a mixed kava drink if you want the training wheels — say "bula!", and drink. The taste is earthy and peppery, and a brief tongue-numbing tingle is part of the deal. Most bars are open late, which is exactly why they've become the after-dark backbone of the alcohol-free scene.
Sensible caveats: if you're pregnant, on medication, or have liver concerns, talk to a doctor before trying kava — and as with anything relaxing, go easy the first time.
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Frequently asked about kava in Denver
Yes — we've verified 11 kava bars in Denver: Kavasutra Kava Bar, That's Kava, The Karma House, Roots and Leaves: Peak Kava, Roots And Leaves: Mile High Kava Bar, Denver Café & Kava, Royal Kumete Kava Lounge, Kava Chris, KavaDen, The Karma Casa, Golden Kava Lounge. Each listing shows the neighborhood and when we last confirmed it was open and pouring.
Kava is a traditional drink from the South Pacific, made from the ground root of the kava plant (Piper methysticum) mixed with water. It's naturally alcohol-free and mildly relaxing — regulars describe a calm, sociable ease rather than intoxication. Expect an earthy, peppery taste and a brief tongue-numbing tingle; that's normal.
For a lot of people, yes — kava bars fill the same social slot as a neighborhood bar: open late, regulars at the counter, nobody asking why you're not drinking. You get a social ritual and a mellow shift in mood without alcohol. If you take medications or have liver concerns, check with your doctor first, and skip kava if you're pregnant.
Start with a single traditional shell and drink it in one or two goes rather than sipping — the taste is earthy and most first-timers prefer it fast. Many bars also pour mixed kava drinks (with coconut, fruit, or chai flavors) that are gentler introductions. Staff at good kava bars are used to first-timers; say it's your first shell and they'll walk you through it.