Drinking Traditions of Fiji: 5 Alcoholic Beverages You Should Know

Fiji’s drinking landscape blends indigenous customs, colonial-era industry, and the rhythms of tropical island life. While yaqona (kava) remains the most emblematic social drink, alcohol arrived with sailors, traders, and the sugar economy, then took on local character.

Sugarcane on Viti Levu and Vanua Levu shaped rum, while coconut groves on outlying islands support toddy traditions kept alive by Kiribati and Tuvaluan communities. Today, beer, rum, and regionally rooted palm sap drinks coexist at rugby matches, village gatherings, and seaside bars.

Among Banaban people resettled on Rabi Island in 1945, coconut toddy—karewe in the Kiribati language—remains a living tradition. The “ingredient” is fresh sap from the coconut palm’s flower spadix, collected in covered vessels before sunrise. Natural yeasts begin a rapid fermentation; within hours the sweet, milky sap becomes lightly effervescent with a gentle tang. Alcohol by volume typically ranges from about 2–5% depending on time and temperature. Aromas lean toward coconut nectar, pandan-like florals, and a faint dairy note, with a softly sour finish.

Karewe is consumed close to where it’s tapped—village compounds and coastal groves—often shared in the cool of morning when it is sweeter and lower in alcohol. By afternoon it tastes drier and more vinous. The practice is as much about stewardship of palms and community rhythm as it is about drinking; tapping rotates across trees, and elders teach safe, sustainable techniques. Visitors who receive an invitation may witness tapping at dawn, but availability is local and seasonal, shaped by rainfall and the flowering cycle.

Kioa Island, purchased by migrants from Tuvalu in the 1940s, preserves the Tuvaluan art of coconut sap collection. Here, kaleve refers broadly to toddy; it can be boiled into a caramel-like syrup for food, or allowed to ferment into a mildly alcoholic drink. The fermented version is cloudy, lightly sparkling, and softly sour-sweet, with delicate coconut and palm blossom aromas. In Fiji’s warm, humid climate, fermentation is fast; a morning draw may reach 3–6% ABV by late afternoon. Taste varies with weather and tree health, ranging from honeyed and gentle to sharper and more wine-like.

Kaleve is shared during family milestones, communal workdays, and island festivities, reflecting Tuvaluan social values transplanted to Fiji. The tapping itself requires care—protecting the cut inflorescence from contamination and rotating trees to avoid stress—so production stays small and community-centered. While not sold commercially, it’s a vivid example of how diaspora communities have added distinct, place-based alcoholic traditions to Fiji’s broader drinking culture.

Fiji’s sugarcane industry laid the foundation for a rum tradition that now feels distinctly local. Molasses from cane grown on Viti Levu and Vanua Levu is fermented and distilled—primarily in column stills—then aged in ex-bourbon oak under tropical conditions that accelerate maturation. The RUM Co. of Fiji, based near the sugar hub of Lautoka, bottles award-winning brands like Ratu and Bati. These rums typically sit between 37.5% and 43% ABV, with profiles of vanilla, molasses toffee, toasted coconut, cocoa, and warm spice; some expressions are filtered through coconut shell carbon to polish the texture.

Rum figures prominently in resort bars, hotel lounges in Suva and Lautoka, and island restaurants, neat or in simple highballs with soda and lime. Historically, the shift from plantation-era molasses export to value-added spirits reflects Fiji’s move toward local craftsmanship. Today, rum tastings and distillery tours (where available) offer insight into climate-driven aging, barrel selection, and how Pacific terroir—salt air, heat, and humidity—shapes spirit character.

Beer is Fiji’s everyday alcoholic drink, and Paradise Beverages in Suva has brewed the country’s best-known labels for decades. Fiji Bitter, a full-strength lager around 4.6% ABV, is crisp and grain-forward with a firm, old-school bitterness and a dry finish. Fiji Gold, typically about 4.4% ABV, is lighter in body and bitterness, made for hot weather refreshment. Both are designed to be served very cold, often in short “stubbies” that warm more slowly in the tropical heat.

You’ll find these lagers nationwide—at rugby screenings, beachfront grills, village shops, and city bars—where they function as social glue after work or sport. While not indigenous in origin, beer has become woven into contemporary Fijian life, pairing easily with grilled seafood, lovo (earth-oven) feasts, and casual gatherings. Seasonal promotions and limited releases appear, but the core profile remains consistent: uncomplicated, chilled, and suited to the climate.

Alongside formal beverages, unlicensed homebrew exists in parts of Fiji as a low-cost alternative. Typically made from sugar, water, and baking or brewer’s yeast—sometimes with fruit scraps—these quick ferments can reach 8–15% ABV. Flavor varies widely: at best, lightly estery and wine-like; at worst, harsh and solventy if poorly managed. Because fermentation vessels and sanitation standards differ, quality and safety are inconsistent, and authorities periodically warn against consumption.

Culturally, homebrew reflects economic realities and limited access in remote areas rather than a heritage recipe. It surfaces at informal gatherings and settlement parties, but it is not a tourist offering nor a regulated product. Travelers curious about local drinks should seek licensed venues and community-sanctioned experiences—toddies where customs permit, brewery-fresh lagers, or guided rum tastings—both to respect local norms and to ensure quality.