When did guayaki yerba mate come out?
Guayaki is a US brand popularizing the caffeinated drink, yerba mate, among young people. With revenues of $100 million, Guayaki dominates the U.S. market where it is synonymous with yerba mate. This essay explores how Guayaki transformed a foreign product with deep local meaning, widespread popularity, and a long history in southern South America from a shared beverage and social practice into a healthy energy drink.
I often get emails from American drinkers, who have only recently been introduced to yerba mate. Most of them are consuming your brand, but write me asking for advice on which brand to try next. They seem interested to “move on” as they question the “authenticity” of the Guayakí taste when compared to traditional South American brands like Rosamonte, Cruz de Malta, Barao, etc.
Guayaki Yerba Mate got its start in 1996 on the Cal Poly University campus when Alex Pryor first introduced yerba mate to David Karr. The pair quickly realized there was a great need for a nourishing source of energy and, with a little bit of optimism, set out to share yerba mate with the world.
Pryor called his canopy-grown yerba mate a “holistic approach to saving the rainforest.” He talked about using the yerba mate cultivation as a way to empower the indigenous population, providing work for them and preserving their culture. “That’s my whole mission,” he said. “That’s what I’d like to do with my food science degree.”
The popular Guayaki energy drink contains 150 mg of caffeine per 16 oz can. This is a pretty standard amount of caffeine for an energy drink and is sure to give you the boost you’re after.
Yerba Mate Popularity
How did yerba mate become popular?
Yerba mate is a bitter herb native to parts of South America. Indigenous groups like the Guaraní originally consumed it before Spanish colonization. Jesuit missionaries promoted yerba mate in the 17th century for its commercial potential. They discovered that toucans helped spread the plant by eating and dispersing its seeds.
Today, Argentina exports the most yerba mate worldwide. Over 90% of Argentine households drink mate regularly. Argentines consume up to 14 pounds of yerba mate per person yearly. The tea is often shared in social settings to forge intimate connections.
Mate contains caffeine and other beneficial compounds. It provides both energizing and potential health effects beyond coffee. However, the ritual of drinking mate together may be just as important to Argentines as the beverage itself.
Yerba Mate Obsession
Why is everyone obsessed with yerba mate?
Yerba mate is a traditional South American drink made from the dried leaves of the Ilex paraguariensis plant. It is often served in a gourd and drunk through a metal straw called a bombilla. Yerba mate is consumed in Argentina, Uruguay, parts of Chile and Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil.
The origins of yerba mate date back to indigenous tribes like the Guarani and Tupi who lived in the forests of Paraguay and Southern Brazil. They believed yerba mate was a gift from the gods and used it for stamina as well as medicinal purposes.
In Argentina, yerba mate is ingested in 90% of households and over 220 million kgs are consumed per year – about 7.5kg per person. It’s often drunk in the mornings or evenings and brings families and friends together to "matear". The sharing of mate forges emotional bonds beyond the act of drinking.
Yerba mate has a similar caffeine content to coffee but doesn’t produce jitters or crashes. It has adaptogenic properties to regulate bodily systems. The flavor is earthy, grassy and woodsy with hints of fruit. While typically served hot, some drink cold mate or just chew the leaves. Locals say drinking mate is a tradition and social activity. It also serves as a pick-me-up in the morning or afternoon.