Time to Read: 7 minutes
Quick Overview
Yerba mate has become a favorite ingredient behind the bar. Its earthy, bitter flavor and steady caffeine make it a natural for cocktails, usually added as a syrup or infusion rather than a hot brew. Below is why it works, the main ways to use it, and seven recipes to try.
In this article, you'll learn:
- Why mate makes a great cocktail ingredient
- Four ways to work it into a drink
- How to make yerba mate syrup
- Seven recipes, from a mate Manhattan to a cooler
Yerba mate is capturing the attention of bartenders worldwide as a rising cocktail ingredient. Since it is usually drunk hot like tea, its place in cocktails might surprise you. Then again, maybe not: this flavorful, bitter South American holly can build sophisticated tastes in a drink, working a little like bitters to add depth and body. Here is what makes it work, how it is used, and the top recipes out there.
Why is yerba mate a great cocktail ingredient?
A few reasons. First, flavor: mate has an earthy, green, refreshing taste that balances beautifully against other ingredients. Second, caffeine: it gives a drink an energetic lift, and unlike coffee, the caffeine tends to be absorbed more gradually for an even feel. Third, the social side: mate is traditionally shared in rounds, and that “pass it around” spirit translates well to a night out, with some bartenders even mixing oversized mate cocktails made for sharing.
How is yerba mate used in cocktails?
Hot water is great for a traditional mate, but not ideal for a cocktail. There are smarter ways to capture the flavor:
- Make a syrup. Brew mate in boiling water, add sugar and any flavors or bitters, then strain. It keeps for a few weeks.
- Infuse the alcohol. Steep mate directly in your spirit and chill overnight.
- Add ground mate directly. A spoonful can go in like a mint sprig when mate is not the star. Use a light hand so drinkers aren't fighting loose leaves.
- Spike the gourd. Some Latin cultures add whiskey straight to the mate gourd, called mate con malicia in Chile. It is a fun tradition, if not a practical bar drink.
The top yerba mate cocktail recipes
Yerba mate pisco sour
A pisco sour is made from pisco, syrup, bitters, egg white, and lemon juice. Take it up a notch with mate syrup. For the syrup, use a simple 1-1-1: one cup water, one cup sugar, and a large spoonful of yerba mate. Bring to a boil until the sugar dissolves, then strain and cool. Use any pisco sour recipe and add 1 oz of the syrup.
Mate Manhattan
This twist from Valcohol adds mate syrup to the classic whiskey, vermouth, and bitters. Make the syrup as above (you can even steep the bitters into it), then add 1 oz along with a bit of orange peel.
Iced yerba mate horchata
Perfect for high summer. Shake together almond milk, cinnamon honey, and vanilla extract, then add 4 oz of brewed, chilled mate, a dash of spiced rum, and ice. A cinnamon stick makes it even better, and the mate adds a welcome bitter note against the sweetness.
Gaucho margarita
Named by The Cocktail Lovers, this one is all about the tequila. Make a standard margarita of tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice, and a batch of mate syrup. Add 1 oz of syrup and shake with ice. A fitting nod to the gaucho tradition.
The busy bee
A spin on the Bee's Knees from Bit by a Fox. Combine 2 oz gin, 1 oz lemon juice, and 1 oz honey mate syrup. For the syrup, brew a cup of mate, add it to a saucepan with a cup of honey, and stir until dissolved, then chill.
Yerba mate cooler
Brew and chill 2 oz of mate, then add 2 oz pink grapefruit juice, 2 oz tequila, and a dash each of ginger syrup and lime juice. Pour over sparkling water for a balanced, summery cooler with a slight bitter finish.
The Carlos Gardel
A vodka-based drink named by La Pulperia in honor of the tango composer. Add brewed, chilled mate with lemon, lime, and orange juice, for something like a more flavorful screwdriver, bursting with color.
Tip
Almost every recipe here leans on the same base yerba mate syrup, so make a batch ahead of time. It keeps for a few weeks in the fridge and turns any classic cocktail into a mate cocktail in seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you put yerba mate in a cocktail?
Most often as a syrup or by infusing it into the spirit, rather than adding hot brewed mate directly.
How do you make yerba mate syrup?
Boil equal parts water and sugar with a spoonful of yerba mate until dissolved, then strain and cool. It keeps for a few weeks.
What does yerba mate add to a drink?
An earthy, bitter, full-bodied note that balances sweetness, plus a gentle caffeine lift.
Drink to connect
Ready to experiment? Start with quality leaves from our yerba mate collection and mix something memorable. #DrinkToConnect
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