There’s so much more to the Asheville social scene than just Beer City.
Non-alcoholic social spaces have been part of Asheville for years, and there are more on the horizon.
Interest goes far beyond being a passing trend, according to entrepreneurs who offer mindless spaces for the growing community. Each day offers another opportunity to introduce customers to a different way of eating, drinking and playing.
Tom Scheve, CEO of Sovereign Kava, has seen an increase in guests this month that he attributes to dry January, a challenge that encourages people to give up alcohol during the month. However, the bar remains busy with guests looking for alternatives to a traditional bar serving alcohol without losing the community experience.
“Interestingly, this place is much more social than an alcohol bar,” Scheve said. “I never would have thought that such a thing would be possible. In fact, if you had said to me, ‘Let’s go to a non-alcoholic bar,’ I think it’s terrible, and I don’t even drink alcohol. But this place is extremely social , especially before the pandemic. “
Almost 10 years ago, Sovereign Kava opened as a bar specializing in mixed drinks made with the kava herbal supplement, which is extracted from the root of a pepper plant grown in the Pacific islands, he said. .
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“Compared to 10 years ago when this site started, it was a real costly battle to even explain what kava was to people and build that base,” Scheve said. “And now a lot of people in the city have experienced it and told other people. And co-workers, so a lot of the hard work has been done at this point.”
This winter, Taylon Breeden is gearing up to open a CBD cafe called The Pot Stirred. Its goal is to normalize herbal medicine while providing an alcohol-free space for the community, he said.
The cafeteria menu will include drinks and snacks made with CBD, Delta 8 or mushrooms. While the products may be better known than kava, they are part of an industry that continues to struggle against the restrictions of the law and stigmas. However, CBD-focused coffees have come to stay, he said.
“I think 100% of us will see them appear everywhere, especially as we get closer to federal legalization,” Breeden said. “I think everyone is trying to mark their territory and prepare for when cannabis is legal. I think you’ll start to see a lot of it.”
Open to everyone
In 2010, Breeden was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and began using CBD oil as a remedy to relieve stomach pain. It has led to a decade of advocacy for hemp legalization and federal cannabis legalization, and its 2018 Simply Extract, a hemp processing lab, 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 space with Carolina Hemp Company and Breeden’s other company, Simply Extract.
“There is this movement that is advancing a lot and a lot during COVID, too, where people are taking their health back into their own hands and relying more on plant medicine and mushrooms, especially,” he said. to say.
The Stirred Pot, for the time being, will have a smooth opening in early February. A grand opening celebration will be held on February 26 with free gifts of CBD donuts, made in collaboration with the Stay Glazed donut shop.
The Pot Stirred will provide educational opportunities. A window inside the cafeteria will offer a view of the Simply Extract lab to see the hemp extraction process and mushroom growth, he said.
“You can look out the window and see me extract the hemp that goes into all the drinks and baked goods infusions,” he said.
Classes will be offered in the extraction laboratory for guests of all ages to learn about plant medicine.
“There’s a stigma with cannabis and hemp and people think it’s the same,” Breeden said. “Hemp doesn’t make you drugged, but it’s a part of the cannabis plant just like the THC cannabis flower. But in fact, seeing this plant in person and seeing how it becomes a medicinal product, I feel like it takes away from me. “We want people to see it in person and see that it is a plant like anything else and that it will not harm society here.”
Socially, The Pot Stirred will serve as a safe space for social interactions, especially for those who prefer or cannot drink alcohol for health or other reasons.
“It’s hard for me to go out with a lot of my friends in places because I can’t drink,” Breeden said. “My stomach breaks if I do. And there’s a lot of pressure to drink with your friends and everyone is drinking. This is a nice place to meet friends.”
Pot Stirred and Sovereign Kava are aimed at adults but open to all ages.
For entertainment, The Pot Stirred will host poetry and live music nights that will give the cafe a bar-like environment but no alcohol, Breeden said.
“We’re trying to create the space where you feel comfortable carrying your grandmother or your child,” she said. “We don’t want to feel like this recreational cannabis site. We’re trying to show people that we can consume herbal medicine in a healthy way.”
Sovereign Kava promotes over-18s, which is the recommended age group for consumption. However, it is acceptable for a father to take his son with them, Scheve said.
The place opens daily at noon and becomes more of a bar setting in the last hours. Live music, open-air poetry nights, and ping-pong tournaments are on the calendar of events each week.
“It’s a place where you can come here without meeting anyone, and by the time you left you knew those who could be very good friends,” Scheve said.
Special rations
Over the years, Breeden and Scheve have found an evolving population of people who want a buzz without the negative effects of alcohol.
“There is a growing market for this. Just as any population ages, it will go through different phases of its life,” Scheve said. “Going out several nights a week and drinking alcohol is not necessarily conducive to long-term happiness and well-being. This place offers an alternative that does not lack a social aspect.”
The Pot Stirred’s regular menu will include herbal teas and CBD and homemade vegetable-based milk, as well as whipped cream pistachio and vegan options. You will also have freshly made gourmet CBD and Delta 8 donuts. The coffees and mushrooms will be locally sourced with some home grown mushrooms.
“There are so many amazing benefits of different types of mushrooms both for your mental health, we are all fighting the pandemic with our mental health, as well as for your immune system,” Breeden said. “The advantage of this coffee is that you will feel good when you leave and you will still feel good in the morning.”
For those who are hesitant to try CBD, there will be menu options other than CBD and CBD, he said. Some products will also be made sweeter to mask the taste of CBD. Breeden welcomes the visiting public to learn about the benefits and experience the menu for themselves.
“CBD doesn’t make you drugged,” he said. “We have a lot of herbal tonics that are good for your health, so if you don’t want to feel excited … we have a lot of options that are good for your health. Your health won’t make you feel wrong in any way.
First-time guests at Sovereign Kava are advised to notify a bartender that this is their first kava experience so that they can guide them on what and how much to order.
Additional alternatives
In 2015, Breeden found that more people were hesitant to talk about CBD in Asheville than they are now, he said.
“Now, everyone is ready to get on this train as soon as we can pass something in the legislature,” he said.
The Pot Stirred and Sovereign Kava are among other local businesses to eliminate alcohol altogether, with some taking years to operate and others planning to open soon.
Café Canna is a popular non-alcoholic live music center serving food as well as kratom and kava drinks in West Asheville.
This year, Sovereign Kava will open a second location in Hendersonville.
The Elevated Kava Lounge, another locally owned and independent business, is scheduled to open in West Asheville in February.
In May, renovations will begin on a fully organic, vegetarian CBD cafe in downtown Marshall.
Local restaurants and bars serving alcohol are expanding their non-alcoholic menus. The Asheville Mocktail Trail was launched to encourage guests to explore the city and non-alcoholic deals at local bars and restaurants in January.
“It’s a good way to be social, to change your mind and not ruin your life,” Scheve said.
Tiana Kennell is the food and eating journalist for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today network. Email tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Twitter / Instagram @PrincessOfPage.
