“California Sober”: Three Los Angeles Beverages That Aren’t Alcohol 

Depending on who you ask, using any psychoactive substance at all disqualifies one from calling themselves “sober.” In recent years, a new moniker has materialized derived from the pseudo-sober lifestyle many Angelenos (and celebrities) are gravitating to: “California sober”. Psychiatrist and addiction specialist Akhil Anand says “California sober” is “kind of a misnomer. After all, you’re not sober if you’re still using a mind altering substance.”8 People commonly adopt the label if they’ve given up alcohol and turned to marijuana, like myself–though I don’t exactly claim Cali sobriety–but there is no formal definition. 

There’s a saying about LA: “half of the city is drinking and the other half is sober.” The great thing about living in a city like Los Angeles is that social spaces that don’t revolve around drinking have been emerging rapidly, alongside non-alcoholic beverage options on menus across the city. Take, for example, Kava Kulture in Atwater Village. A space like Kava Kulture checks all of the boxes when I need a place to get out of my apartment to do work or socialize. It’s lowkey, open late, and alcohol is not promoted or sold. Instead, the kavatenders at Kava Kulture are the only “bartenders” in L.A. that are currently serving both kava drinks and kratom teas alongside coffee and espresso choices. 

 For those teetotalers who can stand to be around alcohol, a good time and delicious non-alcoholic drinks can be found at The Edison when it reopens later this year. Funnily enough, The Edison is a Prohibition-era themed speakeasy. Others who prefer to stick to the more “traditional” version of California sober also have many alternatives in the form of cannabis seltzers sold across the city in dispensaries. One specific brand is local to California, and has gained a loyal following, myself included. Cann brands itself as a “social tonic, or a tonic taken to give a feeling of vigor or well being.” 

So, if you’re looking to hop on the sober train, where should you start? 

KAVA KULTURE: KRATOM TEA AND THE KAVA ULTRASHOCK

A “K-Tea” at Kava Kulture will run you $8, or $6 during happy hour between 4 and 6 P.M. Kratom tea is akin to a sort-of opium tea sans opioids. Drinkers report effects similar to stimulants, analgesics, or prescription pain relievers. The kratom tree, indigenous to Southeast Asia, is an evergreen tree. Kratom leaves have been long utilized as an herbal remedy for opioid withdrawal symptoms, fatigue, mood disorders, and pain management. Due to the fact that kratom (latin name Mitragyna speciosa) affects the brain like an opiate, the plant has a complicated and controversial history dating back centuries. The plant is native to Thailand where the “drug” has been banned for decades amid “widespread abuse,” due to its well-known narcotic effects.8  Kratom has nevertheless made its way across the world, and in the U.S. alone has been sold in the form of teas, powders, and pills for years. Kava, on the other hand, lies on the other side of the spectrum. A 2015 Eater article named kava tea “a prescription-free alternative to Xanax,”7 and in my experience, they’re not wrong. Kava is a physioactive drink made from ground rhizomes of the plant Piper Methysticum, a member of the black pepper family.1  According to a study8, in Polynesian cultures, kava is offered to important individuals as a sign of respect; it is used as a means of strengthening social and familial ties, particularly among males, as well as assisting communication with spirits.  Historically, the preparation of kava involved chewing or grinding the root before soaking the powdered product in water; coconut milk and lemon juice are also commonly used at this stage–and at Kava Kulture. The water is then strained and served in a half coconut shell. The drink is meant to be consumed all at once (or at least that’s what the kavatenders will tell you) since the taste is extremely off-putting. Think watery mud that leaves your mouth buzzing, as if you’d just eaten a handful of mild Szechuan peppercorns. 

CANN 

According to an article in EatThis,NotThat, Cann is an alcohol-alternative that contains 30 calories, 8 grams of carbs, and five simple ingredients: carbonated water, agave nectar, lemon juice, cannabis extract, and natural flavoring.3 One of my favorite flavors is blood orange; I have found that the low dosage of THC as well as the infusion of CBD allows me to unwind in social settings without feeling the crippling pangs of FOMO or cravings for alcohol. However, it should be noted that just as with any substance, cannabis can be different for everyone, especially recovering addicts or those who just don’t use recreational substances often. In an article put out by the Cleveland Health Clinic, an addiction specialist and psychiatrist named Akhil Anand talked about some of the possible dangers that can come with using cannabis as a “California sober lifestyle.” “You’re replacing one addictive substance with another,” Dr. Anand notes. “It’s a slippery slope.”11 He also says that replacing alcohol with marijuana makes one more likely to eventually start drinking again, compared to those that remain absolutely abstinent. Well, of course, but I have questions;  is abstinence really the answer for everyone? A review in the Harm Reduction Journal cites that “human trials have established that co-administration of cannabinoids can dramatically lower opioid use and can provide pain relief for neurogenic symptoms where other treatments have failed.” These are important questions to ask, and reasons why products like Cann are making a delicious difference in many people’s lives. 

THE EDISON: MOCKTAILS

The self-branded “Return To The Old World Glamour of Downtown Los Angeles,” The Edison has had a rough time since the pandemic started. Due to the nature of it’s atmosphere, it’s a speakeasy that “descends into the depths of the 11,000 square feet of space,” it has had to close its doors since April 2020, leaving a hole in the hearts of mocktail fans around LA, like myself. 

A trip to The Edison is not your casual night out; in fact, the speakeasy has a dress-code labeled “Old World Style.” Patrons are required to wear attire that “exudes a sense of elegance and fashion,” and this is required for entry. Dressing up for the occasion is well worth it once you sit down at the gorgeous, towering bar and order one of the two signature mocktails: the Amelie and the Natasha. My favorite, the Natasha, is a delicious concoction of beet shrub, strawberry, orange flower, and gingerbeer; the result is a light and refreshing breath of fresh air. You won’t even miss alcohol, and the Prohibition-theming is a fun paradox to the entire drinking experience itself.