In a state popular with vacationers and retirees, there are so many great places to unwind. Although I love our Treasure Coast beaches and have been known to hike an outdoor trail or two, I spend a lot of my down time at the Hideout Kava Bar in Stuart.

The Hideout serves a variety of kava and kratom drinks, which I find to be safer and more pleasant alternatives to alcohol.

Kava is extracted from roots found in the South Pacific islands. In its pure state, it has a somewhat earthy taste.

OK, to be honest, some people say it tastes like dirt. But kava can be mixed with other beverages that improve the taste. Drinking kava has other benefits, like improved relaxation and pain relief.

Kratom is a form of tea, which also can be mixed with other beverages, that provide benefits similar to kava. Some strains of kratom provide energy boosts, while others can create a euphoric effect that make you feel like you’re on the first day of vacation even if you’re really mired in the middle of your work week.

There are lots of kava bars along the Treasure Coast. Stuart, with a population around 17,000, has a staggeringly high number of them per-capita.

Although I love the Rooted Reef in Fort Pierce and Kava Me Krazy in Jensen Beach, the Hideout is my go-to spot in Stuart, for many reasons.

As the name implies, it’s tucked in kind of an out-of-the-way location, in a small storefront in the Publix shopping center at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Kanner Highway.

While some kava bars offer regular diversions like bingo games, trivia night or live music, the patrons at the Hideout do a good job of keeping themselves entertained without organized activities.

Like the bar in the old TV show “Cheers,” the Hideout has lots of regulars who are there every day, or close to it.

There’s a colorful cast of characters: A mixed martial arts fighter who’s training for her upcoming trip to Thailand. A musician who plays gigs with various 1980s rock tribute bands. A guy who races ATVs on weekends. A firefighter or two. Several entrepreneurs who have started or are planning to launch their own businesses.

It’s a family. Together, we celebrate each other’s successes and console those among us who have setbacks.

I love going to the beach, but I’ve never had a beach love me back the way the patrons and kava tenders at the Hideout do.

This column reflects the opinion of Blake Fontenay. Contact him via email at bfontenay@gannett.com or at 772-232-5424.



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