![Courts Clear Path for New York City’s Kava Crackdown [Updated]](https://dg6qn11ynnp6a.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/14122857/bevnet_kava_thumbnail-680x680.jpg)
New York City has received a legal green light to continue cracking down on on-premise kava bars and restaurants, after a Manhattan federal judge ruled this week that city public health and safety officials have the authority to close those businesses.
In distribution news, HappyPop has ventured out of Southern California with a 10-store launch in Central Market locations in Texas while ketone and kava beverages have signed on with Sprouts.
Kava beverages have yet to fully catch on with consumers but established brands and new entrants to the category are taking differing approaches to latch onto the success in functional drinks.
As the relaxation beverage category has expanded, multiple brands within the space have made a concerted effort to diversify their ingredients beyond a single source, whether CBD, L-theanine or another additive.
With war and inflation dominating headlines, consumers are looking for ways to unwind however they can, and New York-based beverage startup Leilo, maker of a line of kava-based relaxation beverages, is hoping to be the solution.
