Yate

by Yate

Review: Yaté Yerba Maté

Posted: Oct 13, 2023 at 3:06 PM (Last Updated: Oct 17, 2023 at 10:06 AM)
Yaté Yerba Maté

Covers Products: Sparkling Yerba Mate - Original Golden, Sparkling Yerba Mate - Sub-Lime Ginger

Proudly “born and made in LA,” Yaté is a new two-SKU line of sparkling yerba maté beverages that are packaged in 12 ounce cans.

The two flavors –Original Golden and Sub-Lime Ginger –each share a few simple ingredients: sparkling purified water, organic sugar, organic yerba maté extract, a touch of fruit juice (1-2%) and natural flavors. The Sub-lime Ginger variety also contains stevia, which helps keep the sugar content at 7 grams compared with 11 grams for Original Golden. Both products have 80 mg of caffeine from the yerba maté, which is about the same level as an 8.4 oz can of Red Bull.

When it comes to flavor, both of these drinks are quite pleasant. The base of sparkling yerba maté definitely takes center stage and is well complemented by the fruit flavors . The flagship Original Golden flavor pairs the tartness of lemon juice with the lightly sweet base of sparkling yerba maté.  If you are in the mood for something a bit more adventurous, Sub-Lime Ginger has a hefty dose of ginger (from ginger extract) to it and the spice is hard to miss. Much like its counterpart, it's lightly sweet and moderately carbonated with a crisp finish.

We think these two can hold their own against other sparkling yerba maté beverages. Its positioning as a mid-calorie refreshment (TK calories) should give Yaté the ability to branch out beyond the tea or energy set.

Moving onto the packaging, Yaté utilizes a matte finish shrink sleeve label with a matte finish  that has a vibrant visual pop. The cans have a black background with large white lettering used for the logo, which is near the top.  Beneath the logo, there's a large amount of unused space at the center of the can while the SKU name and product tagline are found closer to the bottom of the label. There’s an accent color for each \SKU which is used on a pattern at the top of the can and as the background for the flavor name callout. As a result, it’s pretty easy to tell the difference between the two flavors.

There's not much in the way of front panel label copy, which instead goes mostly on the sides of the can. Some of these things, such as its organic certification, would probably be better on the front panel. In addition, we think there's a missed opportunity to call out calories and sugar content in a more prominent place. 

Otherwise, we suggest considering moving the lower label copy up to eliminate dead space in the center of the can. While that might be part of the aesthetic that they are going for, putting all of the text at the bottom risks it getting obscured once it's on a cooler shelf (especially one with a glide rack). 

Overall, Yaté Sparkling Yerba Maté is an enjoyable and cool looking entry into the expanding yerba maté set. We think it should have a pretty broad appeal and could play as a nice alternative to energy drinks or mid-calorie CSDs. 


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