Mate Bros: Maté Bros Yerba Mate

Review: Maté Bros Yerba Mate is a blend of water, sugar, lemon juice, yerba mate and stevia. Starting with the packaging, the product, which comes in an 8 oz. slim can, is positioned as a yerba mate “energy” product. It seems to be skirting around some of the same challenges that other yerba mate products have come to struggle with: is it a tea, an energy drink, or something else? In the case of this product, the overall design is minimalist and clean -- at least when it comes to the top half of the design. The phrase “connective energy” doesn’t really help nor does “natural energy brew.” Communicating that it’s a non-carbonated, low-calorie (35 per can), and caffeinated (104mg) would be a better use of this space. But we would definitely work within the framework of the current design as it looks pretty slick. Inside the can, the non-carbonated liquid is quite pleasant tasting. It has a heavy lemon flavor, a mild note of yerba mate, and a slight stevia note to the finish. That final part is something we could live without, but otherwise the product is nice alternative to a traditional energy drink. However, we’re not quite sure if it’s good enough to be an alternative to what’s already out there from the likes of Guayaki. Aside from the liquid, the fact that it only comes in one flavor variety, which isn’t really described on the can, is another thing that might make consumers pass over this product. Overall, a good first effort with some straightforward areas for improvement.