Tumunu (Bush Beer Schools)

Atiu's distinctive social institution: a weekly men's drinking gathering in a thatched bush clearing, where a single brewer (the tumunu) ladles out homemade orange-flavoured beer to a circle of guests in turn. Each village has its own and visitors are welcome at most of them — often the highlight of an evening on the island.

Ask your guesthouse host which tumunu is running on which night and who can drive you. Bring a contribution (cash or a small bottle of spirits) and follow the rounds — drink when the cup comes to you, pass it on, listen for the call to silence between rounds.

things to do sight
A story
Tumunu — literally 'the coconut palm trunk' — refers to the hollowed stump that traditionally served as a brewing vessel for orange-flavoured bush beer. The drinking circles were originally outlawed by the missionaries; the tradition went underground, then re-emerged as a tolerated weekly event. The strict round-by-round protocol and the rule that conversation must stop when the barman calls 'cheers' are direct survivals of the church-era subterfuge.