New Yerba Mate Energy Drinks by Guayaki
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 06. 6.06
Guayaki, a company featured previously, is now launching their Organic Yerba Mate Energy Drinks nationwide. The drinks are made with organic rainforest-grown yerba mate and 100% organic cane juice. Mate is something of an acquired taste — it has an earthy flavor and a woodsy aroma. The drinks will come in three varieties: EmpowerMint, Raspberry Revolution, and Traditional.
Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) is a shrub from the holly family, native to South America, whose leaves are dried and made into a tea. It is very popular in South American, where it is consumed in a similar way to coffee or black tea. Yerba Mate is known for its effects of sustained energy, mood elevation, mental clarity and appetite control. The plant contains 196 active compounds, including 24 vitamins and minerals and 15 amino acids. It is also contains a category of phytochemicals called saponins that have been found to stimulate the immune system.
About their product, Guayakí says:
Guayakí’s yerba mate is grown in the natural rainforest where shade from the upper canopy of towering trees protects the mate leaves from direct sun. Shade-grown mate possesses more medicinal and nutritional properties than sun-grown. Guayakí workers handpick only the most tender mate leaves and stems, which are flash-heated to protect the antioxidants and nutritional properties. The yerba mate is wood-dried using naturally fallen rainforest hardwoods and aged for 12 months in cedar wood chambers. This creates Guayakí’s distinct “woodsy” aroma and full-bodied flavor.
:: Guayaki
Just had a mint version of this yesterday (central oregon). It was tasty. I don't like sweetened tea drinks, and it was a little less sweet than usual, but an unsweetened mint would make me a return customer.
if you like it unsweetened, the same company sells it in tea bag form. personally i really like the "magical mint maté" tea bags. Maté will work cold as well as hot. you can drop a bag in a bottle of water, shake it up and let it sit for a few minutes.
If the bottled teas are brewed and bottled in South America, then the tea bags would also provide a less energy-intensive [read fossil-fuel-consumptive] delivery alternative. I imagine that a hundred or more tea bags could be shipped for the comparable weight of one glass bottle full of liquid.
I love Guayaki's energy drinks! They are definitely my favorite bottled tea out there. They also make a cocktail mixer -- just add vodka or rum.
Does anyone know if this is harvested in a fair trade manner?
My rule of thumb is that if they aren't touting it as fair trade, it probably isn't. It might not always be the case, but I know if I were an island of humane business practices in a sea of exploitation, I'd let my customers know about it, in the same way that so many companies, including tea companies, paint themselves green to denote environmental responsibility. (What is the color of social responsibility?)
Yes, it's fair-traded.
Thanks, Justin, but could you tell a little bit about HOW you know it's fair-traded and why they don't have the fair trade label if they actually are?
Please remember to back up your evidence if you're going to make a statement asserting something in a post.
Just click the link to the Guayaki web site -- the fair-trade logo and information is there:
Thank you for your support in "buying green" at guayaki.com - supporting our fair trade, organic, and sustainable business practices.
claiming fair trade status isn't some arbitrary thing. you have to earn certification.