Sakau en Pohnpei
Pre-apologies for the lack of pictures here, it would help to give you an idea of what exactly I'm trying to describe

Sakau (better known in the U.S. as kava, although this is the similar plant from the South Pacific, i.e. Fiji... remember, Micronesia is a few degrees above the equator so part of the North Pacific) is an incredibly important plant here. Traditionally, sakau (pronounced sock-ou (like ouch)) has held a high place in the customs and spiritual beliefs of Pohnpeans, and even today, it infuses much of the life here. So, the skinny on this thing is that number one, you drink it (you don't smoke it folks) and it is pounded on a large rock then mixed with water and massaged and worked until a nice thick gooey drink is produced. The watery, mucusy pulp is strained through hibiscus bark as well. What is it? you may be asking. Sakau (and kava) is the root of a plant in the pepper (like black pepper) family (pardon my lack of botanical knowledge here). The plant is harvested roots and all then the roots removed from the green leafy part and then trimmed. The roots are then pounded with a few rocks on a large flat rock until broken up then mixed with water and the process above is generally followed.
There are a couple of different ways in which sakau is prepared and used. Traditionally, sakau was prepared and drank at any ceremonial occasion like birthdays, feasts, funerals, etc. The whole process of preparation and drinking was fairly ritualized with all kinds of rules of who gets the first through fourth drinks. Because Pohnpei has a "chief/king" system similar to South Pacific or Polynesian cultures, the "chief" (the Nanmwarki) is always the first to drink, then he passes the drink to the next three in line for partaking, but then anyone can drink. Sakua has a calming affect on the body and mind, the effects are subtle and not super intense, but after a few rounds and glasses you definitely feel like you just want to relax, sit back, and enjoy life by just being.
As with all cultures and places, things change. Sakau has moved from an entirely traditional drink to being a recreational one as well. Most people here hold the drink in incredibly high regards and it is considered to be a way to enjoy the evening, welcome newcomers, but also is still used in the traditional ways (at funerals, celebrations, etc.) Interestingly, when conflict arrises and needs dealing with (usually among various families, for instance if someone has been harmed, murdered, mortally offended, etc) the first thing that all involved do before even talking about whatever particular incident or crime is drink a few rounds of sakau, this is also a traditional use of the drink. I haven't noticed much of any conflict around, but avoiding conflict and not bringing this out into the open is part of the culture here as well. Not to say that conflict and violence are not here, of course they are, and domestic abuse is becoming more and more an issue. This seems to be mostly the result though of the breakdown of the extended family living situation and the adoption more and more of a western-style "nuclear family model" (any gasps of surprise here?... not from me).
The extended family here is still incredibly important, and family is priority number one in the lives of pretty much everyone. Being such a small island (about 30,000 population), everyone knows everyone and many people are related in some way or another (usually by some kind of 'cousin' relationship). It is disconcerting at times because lots of people have begun to recognize me as I walk around, most of whom I have never met before. I digress from sakau though.
There are two ways to drink sakau, 'from the rock' as they say, or from a bottle. The differences are slight but profound, any traditional use of sakau is done 'from the rock' meaning that the sakau is prepared at the particular local, from root to drink all in one evening and session. You drink sakau out of a coconut shell in this instance and it is much thicker and dense than drinking from the bottle. When families prepare sakau in bottles it is usually done on the same day as well, but the mixture is strained before being put into old alcohol bottles or just glass bottles that come from where I am not sure. You have to purchase these bottles for a few dollars, whereas drinking from the rock is usually done with sakau provided by the participants or your own sakau from your own land (again, all the land in Pohnpei is owned in some fashion or another by families and most agricultural plants, like sakau, breadfruit, bananas, mango, have been either recently but more often seeded long ago).

Among our group of volunteers (total there is 10 of us on the island from WorldTeach), there is mixed eagerness about sakau. I think I am probably the most enthusiastic of the bunch, because I enjoy the relaxing mellow affects, don't mind the taste (which is sort of earthy creamy), and feel like it is a simple and effective way to embrace the local culture (people really like it when menwih (say men-why, which is the word for outsiders i.e. white people mostly) love their sakau). Not that everyone in the group doesn't like it, but they don't seem super excited about it, especially after trying it a few times, maybe it upsets their stomach or they don't really enjoy the flavor let's say, but either way, we are a flexible bunch and have taken the occasion to drink with locals. I had by first experience of sakau off the rock a few days ago which was much different and more traditional than drinking from the bottle. They even have local sakau "bars" where you can drink your fill for about six dollars.
Alcohol here is not that respected for a variety of reasons, in fact, the municipality that my roommate and I live in is a dry municipality and there is no alcohol available and really it isn't allowed (although if you don't go wild and drunkenly roam the road or forest it's tolerated). Alcohol has caused many problems here in the past and currently as well and many people feel that it's something that islanders haven't had around for any period, don't really know how to handle, and just generally is a bad thing. I take comfort in both that many of these people have such knowledge of how alcohol affects them and limits it's intake and also in the fact that my ancestors have been drinking for a long long time. This lack of alcohol consumption is partly the reason that any good beer is such a hard to come by thing (and the fact that importing a microbrew here just doesn't make any sense economically). Speaking of, I think that there is the potential for developing a great Micronesian beer if someone is interested (ok, so I am, but it's really just a pipe dream more than likely, especially with my great affinity for business and capitalism..ahem)