SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A local Samoan couple is turning a cultural tradition rooted in the Pacific Islands into a growing business in San Diego — introducing more people to kava and the community-centered experience behind it.
Audrey and Mikaele Von Radtke, the founders of Von Radtke & Company Kava Brewing, launched their business last year with a mission that goes beyond selling drinks. For the couple, kava represents culture, connection and storytelling.
“Kava is something that's not as common when we were growing up, especially coming to the states,” Mikaele Von Radtke said. “Not a lot of people tried it or had it before.”
Kava is a drink made from the dried roots of a Pacific Island shrub. The roots are ground into a powder and mixed with water.
For generations, kava ceremonies have been part of Pacific Island culture — often bringing families and communities together through conversation, music and shared experiences.
The couple said they want to modernize a longstanding tradition while also educating people outside of Polynesian communities about what kava is.
“Our biggest challenge would probably be just letting people outside of our culture actually know what it is,” Audrey Von Radtke said.
The business first began taking shape in 2020 before officially launching last year. Since then, the couple has seen support quickly spread through community events, pop-ups and word of mouth.
“Once we got our foot through the door, everyone saw how it was,” Mikaele said. “The word just traveled fast.”
Even without a brick-and-mortar storefront, Von Radtke & Company Kava Brewing has continued to grow by partnering with local events and Pacific Islander community gatherings.
“We're in Holoholo San Diego, Holoholo San Jose, and just from there it really started taking off,” Audrey said.
But the couple emphasizes what separates their business is the cultural experience they bring alongside the drinks.
“Having us sit in a circle serving the kava together, singing songs and telling stories — it’s a really special moment every time we partake in it,” Audrey said.
“I do feel like something that we offer is the experience — something only the culture can offer," she added.
For the couple, success is not entirely measured by sales, but by introducing more people to the roots of Polynesian culture and preserving traditions for future generations.
“I think success for us is really getting kava out there to everybody around the world,” Mikaele said. “And from that, just them knowing where it comes from — Polynesian or the Pacific in general — it really just makes my heart really warm.”
The couple has built their lives together as husband and wife, and now their business.
“We bounce a lot of ideas off of each other — we feed off of each other's energy,” Mikaele said.
As their business continues to grow, the couple says their motivation remains the same: honoring their culture and keeping the tradition alive.
“We got to do this for not just us,” Audrey said. “This is for the culture.”
