Kava Recipes with Extracts

Kava extracts are available in powdered or paste form. While each will have its advantages and disadvantages, they are another essential ingredient in the kava bar industry. There are many extracts out there using alcohol, but after experimenting with those, a better solution is food-grade CO2 kava extract.

30% CO2 Kava Extracts vs 70% CO2 Kava Extracts

30% CO2 Kava Extracts

These are made with CO2 as a solvent, an ideal non-toxic way of extracting kavalactones in kava root without leaving solvent inside your final product. 30% CO2 extracts will often begin their life as a 70% kava extract and be mixed to the correct ratios with a drying powder. The resulting product becomes easier to work with and is often used in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industry to make capsules. These extracts are very concentrated, and at the same time, their solubility in water is similar to instant kava, making it an ideal choice for drink formulators looking to standardize their kava recipes.

1. Solventless means no toxic residue

2. It is in the form of a powder

3. Easy to work with

4. Often used in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industry

5. Water solubility is similar to instant kava

6. This is the kava extract of choice for beverages.

7. Create standardized kava products such as capsules and kava drinks.

Warning: There are probably only a handful of suppliers offering authentic 30%. After quality testing over 50 different samples from different suppliers, the best extract found was HPLC testing for kavalactones at not more than 2%. So if you are looking for a reputable source with COA on every batch, you can buy 30% CO2 Kava Extract at Usakava.

70% CO2 Kava Extract

These extracts are as pure as it gets, and since they use CO2 as a gas, the finished extract has no toxic residue inside. Since they are made at low temperatures, the kavalactones stay intact, which means that using CO2 gives a significant advantage over solvents that need to be evaporated using heat. These extracts are in a crumbly paste and have vivid yellow color. They are often the choice of the formulator who works with oils. A few formulators are experimenting with CBD oils and mixing them with kava 70%. These extracts can be diluted back into oils, glycerin, or alcohol. They are not water-soluble without the use of emulsifiers. 70% CO2 extract is mixed with drying powders to create standardized CO2 kava extracts of lower strength, such as 30%.

1. Solventless means no toxic residue

2. Extracted cold means kavalactones are not broken down by heat

3. The most potent extract available

4. Soluble in oil, glycerin, and alcohol

5. The starting ingredient for lower percentage CO2 extracts

6. Can be made into a powder by mixing with drying powders

7. This is the kava extract of choice for the formulator working with oil bases and other non-polar bases

8. Create standardized kava products and recipes

Kava CO2 Extracts vs Instant Kava Tea

Instant kava is considered more like a water extract that extracts more polar than nonpolar kavalactones such as kavain and CO2 kava extracts are full-spectrum and extract both nonpolar and polar kavalactones so the entire range. While instant kava has its distinct, authentic feel and taste of raw root, CO2 kava extracts provide more potential for the future of kava in the nutraceutical market. Companies that refine extracts and create isolates will have more success working with CO2 extracts than instant kava.

• Kava extract is more functional and uses state of the art extraction techniques

• Instant kava is more ceremonial and at the same time functional, but uses more traditional methods of extraction.

For that reason, some products have decided to incorporate both in their recipe formulations, providing the best of both worlds.

One of those products is Celebrationzen tropical-flavored kava shot. What makes this shot so unique in its taste and effect is that it incorporates both instant kava and 30% kava extracts to create a well-rounded kava experience not found with other kava shots.