Asheville's abuzz with social alternatives from CBD cafes to kava bars

There's a lot more to Asheville's social scene than just Beer City.

Alcohol-free social spaces have been a part of Asheville for years, and more are on the horizon.

The interest is well beyond being a passing trend, according to the entrepreneurs providing spiritless spaces for the growing community. Each day presents another opportunity to introduce patrons to another way to eat, drink and play.

Tom Scheve, general manager of Sovereign Kava, has seen an uptick in guests this month that he attributes to the Dry January, a challenge that encourages individuals to give up alcohol for the month. However, the bar stays busy with guests looking for alternatives to a traditional bar that serves alcohol without losing the communal experience.

“Oddly enough, this place is way more social than an alcohol bar," Scheve said. "I wouldn’t have ever believed that such a thing was possible. In fact, if you’d have told me, ‘We’re going to a nonalcoholic bar’ — that sounds terrible to me, and I don’t even drink alcohol. But this place is extremely social, especially before the pandemic.”

Nearly 10 years ago, Sovereign Kava opened as a bar that specializes in mixed beverages made with the herbal supplement kava, which is extracted from the root of a pepper plant that’s grown in the Pacific Islands, he said.

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“Compared to 10 years ago when this place started out, it was a real uphill battle even explaining what kava was to people and building that foundation," Scheve said. "And now so many people in town have experienced it and have told other people and co-workers, so a lot of the heavy lifting on that end has been done.”

This winter, Taylon Breeden is preparing to open a CBD cafe called The Pot Stirred. Her goal is to normalize plant medicine while offering an alcohol-free space for the community, she said.

The cafe menu will feature beverages and snacks made with CBD, Delta 8 or mushrooms. While the products may be more widely known than kava, they are a part of an industry that continues to battle law restrictions and stigmas. Yet, CBD-centric cafes are here to stay, she said.

“I think 100% we’re going to see them pop up everywhere, especially as we become closer to federal legalization," Breeden said. "I think everyone’s trying to mark their territory and get set up for when cannabis is legal. I think you’re going to start seeing it a lot.”

Open to all

In 2010, Breeden was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and began using CBD oil as a remedy to ease stomach pain. It's led to decade-long advocacy for the legalization of hemp and the federal legalization of cannabis, and to her founding Simply Extract, a hemp processing laboratory, in 2018.

Now in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Breeden is motivated to open The Pot Stirred.

The Pot Stirred, at 57 Haywood St., will share a space with Carolina Hemp Company and Breeden’s other company, Simply Extract.

"There’s this movement coming very hard and a lot of it is happening during COVID, as well, where people are taking their health back into their own hands and leaning in on plant medicine more and mushroom, especially," she said.

The Pot Stirred will tentatively have an early-February soft opening. On Feb. 26, a grand opening celebration will be hosted with free giveaways of CBD donuts, made in collaboration with Stay Glazed donut shop.

The Pot Stirred will offer educational opportunities. A window inside the café will provide a view into the Simply Extract lab to watch the extraction process of hemp and the growth of mushrooms, she said.

“You can look through the window and actually watch me extract hemp that’s going into all the drinks and infused-baked goods,” she said.

Classes will be offered at the extraction lab for guests of all ages to learn about plant medicine.

“There is a stigma with cannabis and hemp and people thinking it’s the same thing,” Breeden said. “Hemp does not get you high, but it is a part of the cannabis plant just like THC cannabis flower is. But actually, getting to see this plant in person and watching it get turned into a medicinal product, I feel like it takes some of the scary away. We want people to see it in person and see it’s a plant like anything else and it’s not going to cause the detriment of society here.”

Socially, The Pot Stirred will serve as a safe space for social interactions, particularly for those who prefer or cannot drink alcohol for health or other reasons.

“I have a hard time going out with a lot of my friends to places because I can’t drink," Breeden said. "My stomach gets torn up if I do. And there’s so much pressure to drink with your friends and everyone is drinking. This is a nice place to meet up with friends.”

The Pot Stirred and Sovereign Kava are geared toward adults but open to all ages.

For entertainment, The Pot Stirred will host poetry and live music nights that will give the café a setting of a bar but without the alcohol, Breeden said.

“We’re trying to create the space where you would feel comfortable bringing your grandma or your kid into,” she said. “We don’t want to feel like this recreational cannabis spot. We’re trying to show people we can consume plant medicine in healthy ways."

Sovereign Kava promotes to ages 18 and up, which is the recommended age group for consumption. However, it’s acceptable if a parent brings their child with them, Scheve said.

The venue opens at noon daily and turns more into a bar environment in the later hours. Live music, poetry open mic nights and ping pong tournaments are on the event calendar each week.

“It’s a place where you can come here not knowing anyone, and by the time you’ve left you’ve met what potentially could be some really good friends,” Scheve said.

Special servings

Over the years, Breeden and Scheve have found an evolving population of people who want a buzz without the negative effects of alcohol.

“There’s a growing market for it. Just as any population gets older, they’re going to go through different phases of their life," Scheve said. "Going out several nights a week and drinking alcohol isn’t necessarily conducive for a long-term happiness and well-being. This place provides an alternative that isn’t lacking in a social aspect.”

The Pot Stirred's regular menu will include herbal and CBD teas and in-house-made plant-based milk, plus pistachio whipped cream and vegan options. It also will have freshly baked gourmet CBD and Delta 8 donuts. Coffees and mushrooms will be locally sourced with some mushrooms grown in-house.

"There (are) so many amazing benefits of different kinds of mushrooms both for your mental health — we’re all struggling through the pandemic with our mental health — but also for your immune system," Breeden said. “The perk of this café is you’re going to be feeling good when you leave and you’re still going to be feeling good in the morning."

For those hesitant about trying CBD, there will be non-CBD and CBD menu options, she said. Some products will be made sweeter to mask the taste of the CBD, too. Breeden welcomes the public to visit to learn about the benefits and experience the menu for themselves.

“CBD does not get you high," she said. "We’ve got a lot of herbal tonics that are good for your health, so if you don’t want to feel buzzed … we have a lot of options that are good for your health that aren’t going to make you feel impaired whatsoever.

First-time guests to Sovereign Kava are recommended to notify a bartender that it’s their first kava experience so they can guide them on what and how much to order.

Additional alternatives

In 2015, Breeden found more people were hesitant to talk about CBD in Asheville than they are now, she said.

“Now, everybody’s ready to jump on this train as soon as we can get something passed in the legislature,” she said.

The Pot Stirred and Sovereign Kava are among other local businesses to nix alcohol altogether with some who've been in operation for years and others planning to open soon.

Café Canna is a popular nonalcoholic live music hub that serves food in addition to kratom and kava beverages in West Asheville.

This year, Sovereign Kava will open a second location in Hendersonville.

In February, Elevated Kava Lounge, another local and independently owned business, is planned to open in West Asheville.

In May, renovations will begin on an all-organic and vegetarian CBD café in downtown Marshall.

Local restaurants and bars in the area that serve alcohol are expanding their mocktail menus. The Asheville Mocktail Trail was launched to encourage patrons to explore the city and the nonalcoholic offerings at local bars and restaurants in January.

“It’s a good way to be social, to get a head change and not ruin your life,” Scheve said.

Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Twitter/Instagram @PrincessOfPage.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Alcohol-free bars offer alternative entertainment in Asheville