Matero, which is a sparkling yerba mate drink, is a very straightforward product that was, according to the company’s website, inspired by the German drink Club-Mate.

In this case, they’ve taken an all-natural approach, blending sparkling water, sugar, yerba mate extract, and yerba mate flavor into a single SKU that has 79 calories and 19g of sugar per bottle. The flavor profile is that of yerba mate and sugar and there’s a fair amount of carbonation added. The end result is something that has the mouthfeel of a soda, but tastes like a tea. And of course this being a yerba mate based product, it has 110mg of caffeine per bottle. All in all, it’s a pretty enjoyable product to consume.

From a packaging perspective, the product’s use of a long neck glass bottle gives it the look and feel of a soda. There is a very small caffeine callout on the front of the label.  

The Matero branding feels upscale and modern/minimalist, with green, white, and black making up the color palette while conceptual illustrations are used for the graphic elements. The top portion of the label is easy to read and matter of fact in how it describes the product, while the text on the bottom half, which includes a circle wrapped in text and a callout for “new updated flavor” seem like they could be used for something more useful. It does, however, feel like it’s in the right ballpark when it comes to the overall aesthetic.

Beyond that, we really wonder if this brand can succeed as a single, unflavored offering. What works for Club-Mate, which has a long history and brand equity, won’t necessarily work for this brand. Plus, it seems to leave the brand vulnerable to another player that might come along and develop a larger line with more options.

Overall, Matero is a tasty and nice looking take on yerba mate. From here, we think that they need to think about going from being a single product and developing into a brand.