The daylong homebrewed drinking festival, Xikuha, which is an ancient tradition in South Africa, celebrates the little green fruit of the ubiquitous marula trees. Think you have what it takes to throw your own Xikuha? First you’ll need to assign a truth-worthy chief, a taste tester, and a whole pack of villagers. Still game? Follow these steps and find out what it takes:

1. Proclaim Xikuha

Xikuha does not happen every year, only when the marula harvest is bountiful. Luckily, the marula harvest is bountiful almost every year. When proclaiming Xikuha, the chief must consider a number of factors. First, Xikuha can only be celebrated outside under a shady tree. Second, the chief must dictate the terms of Xikuha, explaining to the villagers how much beer they must bring or what fine they will face. In rural South Africa, the chief demands five liters of marula beer per family or a fine of 10 Rand  ($1.50 US).

2. Brew the beer

The villagers take center stage in step two as they make the beer — the heart and soul of Xikuha. To brew official marula beer, first peel the marulas (discard the peels) and throw the fruit into a bucket to drain out the initial juices. Next, move the still-whole peeled marulas (or other seasonal fruit) and place them in a second bucket and then mash the soft innards into a porridge-like consistency. Remove the hard round nuts from the bucket, squeezing each to remove any last drop of juice, and then discard. Add water in approximately equal proportion to the marula mash. Add the juice from the first bucket and mix well. Let the brew sit covered outside for one, two or even three days depending on your desired strength of beer. Be sure to consider the location of your Xikuha and adjust accordingly. Hotter weather produces a stronger brew. In South Africa, with summer temperatures in the north consistently hovering around 100 °F (38 °C), a three-day marula beer concoction drinks like a shot of flavored vodka. Skim and discard the top foam layer of the beer when the day of Xikuha arrives.

3. Collect the beer

Balancing a bucket of beer on one’s head — and holding another by the arm — each villager must bring his or her offering to the shady tree where the chief ordered Xikuha to take place. As each bucket of beer nears the tree, an elder should blow short, chopping blasts from a kudu horn to celebrate the arrival of more beer. If a kudu horn is not available, consider an air horn, a bell or even a simple “yippee.”

Next, a taste tester must scoop a mug of beer from each bucket and drink it to ensure that no one is trying to poison the chief. This can be a difficult job as the day wears on. Be sure when choosing a taste tester to consider such factors as dedication to the chief, bravery, courage and alcohol tolerance. If the taste tester lives, proving that the beer is not poisonous, he or she then pours the bucket of beer into a large communal vat. If the taste tester appears poisoned, call 911.

After all the beer has been brewed, collected, tested and poured into a communal vat, the chief must rise and give a short speech. Then, the chief must solemnly pour  a glass of beer from the large communal vat onto the trunk of the tree, whose shade everyone is enjoying, as a blessing for the gods and thanksgiving for the marulas.

4. Feast and drink

To ensure a healthy day of drinking, a quick but intense feast is a must. The chief, along with his closest advisors, eats separately and should feast on wildebeest — if in season — or ribs and sausages. The rest of the villagers should eat cheap hot dogs.

After feasting, indulge in all that is Xikuha. Your marula concoction should smell ungodly but surprisingly also taste like Smirnoff Ice. Drink and be merry but also remain faithful to the spirit of Xikuha. Scooping beer from the communal vat, pass large pitchers back and forth around the shady circle. No need for cups, just a thankful spirit for fruit, beer, friends and the traditions of a distant people.