Guayakí Yerba Mate Organic Energy Drink: Traditional Mate (2009)

Guayaki’s Traditional Mate not only provides a nice kick of natural caffeine, but it delivers a very enjoyable flavor that should, at this stage in the game, have mainstream appeal. Mildly sweetened with organic cane juice and flavored with a splash of lemon juice, this product has a mellow mate flavor that’s smooth from start to finish. They’ve done a nice job of making a formula that shows how mate can be an alternative to tea by delivering what’s effectively their take on tea with lemon. This USDA Organic product is so gulpable that halfway through the bottle we were completely hooked. On the packaging front, they’ve created something that’s earthy and authentic, yet easy to read and identify with their trademark yellow color. Overall, a great product that sets the stage for the rest of the brand – and the bar for the rest of the category.