The Colorado Kava Crawl: From Fort Collins to Denver Without a Hangover

I remember the first time someone handed me a coconut shell full of muddy-looking liquid and said “just chug it.” That was five years ago. Now there are more kava bars in Colorado than I can keep track of—and honestly? It’s beautiful to see.

Colorado: The Unlikely Kava Capital

Florida gets all the credit for America’s kava scene (and fair enough, they started it), but Colorado has quietly slipped into second place. With around eight kava bars in the Denver metro alone and more scattered up the Front Range, we’ve become a legitimate destination for the shell-and-chill crowd.

Why Colorado? I think it’s the same reason we’ve got a million breweries and a million yoga studios—we like substances that make us feel good, we like community spaces, and we’re not afraid to try something that looks weird. Kava checks all those boxes.

The Crawl: Fort Collins to Denver

If you’ve got a day and a car (or a very ambitious e-bike), here’s how I’d map out a Front Range kava crawl:

Stop 1: Roots & Leaves Old Town (Fort Collins)

Start in Fort Collins at the OG Colorado kava spot. Roots & Leaves launched in Longmont back in 2020 and has since expanded across the Front Range. Their Old Town location sits in the heart of Fort Collins’ walkable downtown, which means you can pair your shells with a stroll past local shops and murals.

The vibe here is cozy and community-driven—think local art on the walls, people actually talking to each other, that kind of thing. They do traditional kava, kombucha, and an assortment of herbal teas for the kava-curious.

Stop 2: Kavarado Station (South Fort Collins)

Before leaving town, hit Roots & Leaves’ second FoCo location at 1801 S College Ave. Different energy—more of a highway-adjacent pit stop vibe—but same quality product. Good if you’re grabbing one for the road (kava road trips hit different).

Stop 3: Kavasutra (Denver - Colfax)

Head south to Denver and find yourself at Kavasutra on East Colfax. This is part of a 25-location chain owned by a Palm Beach entrepreneur, so it’s got more of a polished operation feel. But Colfax is Colfax—weird, wonderful, and the perfect backdrop for afternoon kava.

Stop 4: Karma House (Denver)

End your crawl somewhere that never sleeps. Karma House keeps wild hours—8 AM to 3 AM Monday through Thursday, then 24/7 through the weekend. If your kava crawl turns into a kava marathon, this is your final boss.

Why Now?

The timing isn’t random. The sober-curious movement has officially matured from a trend into a lifestyle. According to market research, 49% of Americans are trying to drink less, and Gen Z is leading the charge. Kava bars give you everything a regular bar does—a place to go, something to drink, people to meet—minus the hangover.

There’s even a term for the new drinking pattern: “zebra striping,” where you alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in the same night. But honestly? Once you’ve got a good kava spot, you might just skip the stripes entirely.

The Growing Scene

Colorado Community Media reports that Denver’s kava bars are increasingly becoming wellness-centric community spaces—hosting yoga, meditation, trivia nights, and more. It’s not just about the drink; it’s about finding a third place that isn’t centered on alcohol.

And the growth isn’t slowing down. Roots & Leaves is planning a Loveland location with a retail store and greenhouse sometime in 2026. The scene is expanding faster than most people realize.

Have you hit any Colorado kava bars worth adding to the crawl? I’m always looking for new spots—especially if they’ve got that cozy community vibe. Drop me a line.

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