Newbie Elite Tea Party @ MeloMelo Kava Bar

I was super excited to RSVP to this newbie one — definitely felt a bit more comfortable going to an event like this where there are other new elites!
But whoa… Wait, what is kava… Basically it looks like milk tea, tastes very ‘earthy’ and you take it like a tequila shot (you chase it with a pineapple). Hahah. Pretty unique concept! I was so confused with the other Unilocalers told me that it’ll numb my tongue… Like, how is that possible? But you can’t really explain it until you try it and I would highly recommend people to try it out if you’re down to get a VERY unique kind of buzz going on! The feeling numbs you from your mouth then you sort of get a tingly sensation that spreads to your head where you’ll start to strangely just focus in your head and your body will be feelin’ it as time elapses! It’s a very interesting kind of feeling.
The workers there are super awesome and friendly — total homies. Much respect with bringing Berkeley a little bit of the island culture! My favorite kava drink would definitely be the Dream kava. I would say that the flavors in this drink make this drink less «earthy». I also got to try the solar (not sure what’s infused in it. But it kinda tastes like cream soda!), ginger berry and guava mango kombucha which remind me of soda.
I would definitely recommend to swing by Melomelo and have a drink! Don’t forget, before your drink it instead of cheers, you say — BULA!

Thank you MeloMelo Kava and Unilocal East Bay for putting together such a wonderful and welcoming event for all of us newbies! I am sincerely grateful to be a part of this community.
I thoroughly enjoyed mixing and mingling with everyone while trying this Kava root for the first time.
Bula to all things new — new beginnings and new experiences!

Last night I got my kava buzz on with fellow newbie Elites and what a great way to celebrate our new East Bay Elite status! Congrats to the new 2015 Elites! Thanks again to Nique and Jon and the staff of MeloMelo for for having us! Such a unique and fun experience!
I had tried kava once in Hawaii but didn’t really like it since it tasted like dirt. However, the folks at MeloMelo know how to make kava tasty. I tried the Purist (steeped in water), Melo Coco (brewed in 100% coconut water) and Kava Dreams (orange flavored kava extract with coconut milk and cinnamon). I downed my Purist and enjoyed the pineapple wedge as my chaser. I guess I’m a light weight because I felt buzzed after my first drink and my eyes were beginning to close! Haha. I definitely felt my mouth and lips go numb. My favorite was the Melo Coco and I could have drank that all night! The Kava Dreams was a bit too sweet for me but good for those that want to mask the earthy kava flavor.
I loved the atmosphere of MeloMelo and the lighting effects definitely enhanced my buzz. They had a long bar and also comfy couches on the side. They even provided board games and art supplies in case your inner artist comes out when you feel the kava buzz. I couldn’t help but draw and color when I saw the art supplies in front of me while hanging out on the couch.
It was awesome catching up with Nique and Jon and meeting other fellow Elites. Thanks to the guys at MeloMelo for opening up a cool, unique bar in the East Bay. I had an awesome time and had the best sleep last night! My plus one (BF) and I kept singing «they call me mellow yellow» on my way home!

This was my first Unilocal Elite Event and my friend Cindy and I both really loved it because it was easy to get to as we both live near the area and wondered what all the fuss was about when it came to Kava and Kambucha drinks.
Kudos to our East Bay CM Nique and her East Bay Unilocal team for organizing such an outstanding event. I was a little concerned that having such a nice event at an unknown quantity such as a Kava Bar, but after I saw inside the place with the welcoming staff which stood out in an underserved area of Berkeley, I was sold.
Kava is an ancient beverage from the South Pacific made from the roots of the Kava Kava plant. After drinking a small coconut filled cup, it supposed to make you feel calm and mellow and even a little sleepy. After our bartender Rami suggested we try the opening kava drink, the «Purist» my mouth, especially my tongue turned numb. I cannot deny that the «Purist» looked like dirty dish water and quite frankly tasted as earthy as it looked.
Rami then suggested we have the Kambucha which was served on tap, on this night they had flavors like Mango, Orange and Gingerberry. We were served a four glass flight of all of the options they had on tap, and they tasted quite refreshing, like an Izze drink.
Afterward I went back to the Kava, this time trying both the Pina Coloda and the Orange Dream. Both tasted as if they were traditional drinks at a Tiki Bar. I loved certain drinks at MeloMelo, not all, but most of all I loved the energy and vibe of the place.
Instead of cheers or salud, you say «Bula» in the islands after drinking these drinks. So I have to say it: Bula to owners of MeloMelo Kava Bar Rami, Nico, and Anneliese for their new venture in Berkeley and thanks to Nique for making my first event so pleasant for me and my friend Cindy.

What an ANOTHER WONDERFUL event! This time it was JUST with my lovely new Elites! Let me first start by saying CONGRATS to all the NEW 2015 ELITES! We did it baybee!
Our first event was in the lovely heart of Berkeley at a Kava Bar which was a new experience for me and many other people as well. The location was in a great area and its a corner spot which is lovely. Parking and location was a breeze to find.
I was happy to walk in and be greeted by my lovely people Jon G and beautiful CM Nique, WAIT… I cant forget the lovely South Bay CM Candice that came to show love as well!
Walking in to this event, I was like «Kava what?» HAHA not having ANY idea what I was walking into. After getting my mingling on, I found a seat at the bar area near new people and was excited to see Unilocal Bag and the Unilocal cups that was presented to us. YAYY!
The workers: Liam, Rami and the amazing Nico were totally friendly and amazing. I sat down and Nico had no problem talking to me about the history of Kava and how it all started. So NOW let me school y’all:
~Kava is a plant. It’s a mix between coffee and alcohol. Doesn’t get you drunk or tipsy but more of a relaxer. This drink helps people with insomnia and anxiety and I am totally fine with that, especially with my HIGH energy. HAHA
The Kava bar is SO unique, the Coconut shells really gives it the amazing touch to the business! The venue is beautiful and spacious. 15 seats at the bar area and couches in the back. At night, the lovely lights come on and the screen on the wall really gives this place a lovely look.
My first taste. was umm… PRICELESS! haha but once I tried other flavors, I was ALL in! My favorite was the Kava Dreams. Yummy and you can barely taste the Kava.
I would definitely be back as well as bring many more people. This is an amazing first event for people like myself who have never experienced this before and I’m not a Coffee drinker.
It was amazing to be able to talk to people I didn’t know that also had the same interest as me. First meet and greet as well as first Kava experience. What more can I ask for?
Great drinks, great workers and a great event!
Raising my cup in the air… cheers to the first Elites… Everyone say it with me… BULA!!!

My first ever Unilocal Elite event and it was really awesome! Thanks to Melo Melo Kava Bar and our lovely Easy Bay CM Nique! :) I met so many friendly people and the kava bar vibe induced by those dangerous sedative kava drinks was great! I was a bit nervous upon arriving since I have crawled back into my shell after the good olé college days but the nerves was quickly gone after I was kindly welcomed by Jon and other Unilocal elites. Yay!
It was my first time trying out kava. I can say if it wasn’t for this event, I probably would never have discovered it! My first kava drink flavor was the colada flavor which taste a bit bitter from the kava plant but balanced out by the sweetness of the coconut taste. Kava tasted a bit strange at first, but hey if it’s suppose to relax my mind after a long day of work? I’m down. After drinking one kava drink, my mouth felt a bit numb… after the third kava drink, well my mind started to slow down and got this buzzed feeling similar to the alcohol buzz except better for the liver! I have also tried the kombucha tasters which were served in very cute small glasses with numbers. My favorite would be the yuzu lemon. yum!
After trying out all kinds of drinks the venue had to offer, we settled down over some board games. Nothing like meeting new friends, drinking some kava, and playing several rounds of Cards Against Humanity! It is quite the ice breaker. So glad I made it out to this event and can’t wait for many more to come!