KAVA VENDING MACHINE

A treat for Kava lovers in Aotearoa.

Ngata Henry from Four Shells Kava Lounge with the new vending machine. Photo / Todd Henry

Tāmaki Makaurau opened New Zealand’s first kava vending machine offering patrons another way to get their hands on the sweet nectar.

The high-tech solution allows customers to buy kava from Four Shells Kava Lounge in Auckland’s CBD outside of their normal evening hours.

Stocked with pre-mixed kava as well as the powdered root and easier-to-mix instant variety, the machine is simply a modern extension of the way kava has always been bought and sold.

NZ’s first kava vending machine at Four Shells Kava Lounge in Auckland’s CBD serves pre-mixed kava and powder. Photo / Todd Henry

With it’s long history of use in the Pacific, Kava is made from the roots of the Piper methysticum plant. Different Kava cultures can be found across islands in Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.

Now in its sixth year, Four Shells wasn’t the first kava business in Auckland but has previously moved to meet the market by being the first to offer delivery via popular apps such as Uber Eats.

Kava is sold alongside other drinks and snacks in the vending machine at Four Shells Kava Lounge. Photo / Todd Henry

Other kava businesses offered the peppery beverage before Four Shells and kava has been available for sale from shops, dairies, and private homes for generations.

Credit: NZ Herald