Synergy Smoothie and Elixir Bar Brings Kava and CBD Drinks to Midtown

Synergy Smoothie and Elixir Bar (3674 Forest Park Avenue) is the kind of place you can gather with friends for a good conversation and a drink. But it's not a bar in the traditional sense: Synergy has no alcohol.

Instead, this new Midtown business focuses on the connection between the body and mind and enhancing health on multiple levels. Instead of getting buzzed on booze, you can feel a different kind of buzz with drinks infused with herbal remedies including Kava and CBD.

Owners Danny Hallam and Joe and Genevieve Bill are experts on the products and their benefits. They all want to focus on making their shop not only a platform to teach but a platform to learn from others in the community.

"We consider Synergy a high-minded sober social house," says Hallam, "a destination where people come to enjoy their time together without alcohol."

To that end, they've converted the counter-service spot that previously held Dixon's BBQ into a relaxed space with a bar and tables. Exposed brick walls provide a classic St. Louis feel. Positive and comfortable energy radiates throughout the space.

"We want to create a place where even Grandma can feel comfortable coming in," adds Joe Bill. "We are not like a head shop."

Synergy offers traditional mocktails, but if you want to enhance your experience, Kava is the way to go. A cold tea made from the root of the Kava Kava plant from the Polynesian Islands, it has an earthy taste and gives you a euphoric and relaxed feeling — sort of like a buzz without the negative effects of alcohol. No motor skills are affected and people tend to be extra chatty afterward. It is a social lubricant that has been used as a ceremonial drink for thousands of years.

Order one at Synergy, and you may well be served it in a coconut bowl and instructed to toast it while saying, "Bula!" Why not go with it?

Synergy's owners say their herbal blends are tailored to help you respond less to stressors. They swear you'll have an easier time focusing after a cup of the Rainforest Clarity Tea. Or you can get a pep in your step with an Energy Juice Shot containing pineapple, matcha, and ginger.

Enjoy smoothies such as the Sweet Mana featuring mango, banana, orange, coconut extract and coconut milk. The Mayan Warrior smoothie is a pleasant surprise with cocoa, banana, strawberry, maple syrup, cayenne, cinnamon, bee pollen and almond milk. All smoothies are 16 ounces and $7.50.

 You can add CBD to your drink for an additional $2. Made from a flower in the cannabis plant, it won't get you high, but its proponents swear it's a natural pain reliever that accomplishes any number of other things, including just putting you in a good mood. Synergy's owners say it helps create a balance in the body.

They're also planning to introduce a raw vegan food menu, along with CBD deserts. They say they're using fresh ingredients and work directly with the farmers.

"We even plan to have some of the farmers come and speak," says Hallam.

Perhaps surprisingly in light of the herbal remedies on offer, Synergy is kid friendly. The business offers a changing table and high chairs. You can expect a kids' menu in the near future.

That's not all: They sell crystals and vintage jewelry, and also offer classes and events. Learn how to make wire wrapped jewelry, attend Tarot card readings and more. The team is planning poetry, music and open mic nights.

Synergy held a soft opening on March 5 and will be hosting a grand opening on May 11, complete with a DJ. Synergy is open from 4 to 10 p.m Tuesday through Saturday; after the grand opening, they will also be open during the day.

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