Gwen and Roderick Russell have launched what they believe is Vermont’s first bar serving kava beverages, made from the ground root of a South Pacific plant, Piper methysticum, that has purported mood-altering effects. Mesmer Kava opened in mid-May in Suite 109 at 47 Maple Street, the Burlington building known as Karma Bird House. It currently offers traditionally prepared kava and kava-based drinks in a cozy café space, Thursdays and Fridays from 3 to 8 p.m.
The name of the Russells’ business nods to Franz Anton Mesmer, an 18th-century German physician whose therapeutic approach is considered the forerunner of hypnosis. Roderick, 46, is a clinical and stage hypnotist with a hypnotherapy practice in which he helps people address mental and physical challenges, such as pain control and behavioral change.
“Mental health is how we got here,” Roderick said. “It comes from our experience enjoying kava. It induces a gentle, flow-like state.”
The couple were careful to note that kava is not classified as a drug or intoxicant. “It can help smooth the rough edges of your life,” Roderick said. “It’s mood-altering, not mind-altering.”
The Russells currently use two house varieties of kava, from the island nations of Vanuatu and Tonga. They prepare traditional kava by submerging the ground root in a mesh bag in 80-degree water and kneading it to create an extraction with a bitter, earthy flavor that is consumed like tea.
To enhance palatability, the couple have developed a short list of kava drinks featuring additional ingredients, such as pineapple and ginger. They plan to add herbal teas. Gwen, 34, is a professional coffee taster whose family owns NU Chocolat in Burlington, from which the Russells will likely source chocolate for a kava-infused hot chocolate.
The original print version of this article was headlined “Mesmer Kava Opens in Burlington”
This article appears in The Food Issue 2025.
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