Mates of pumpkin
Mates of horn
Mates of cane

MATE
Mate is an infusion made from toasted Yerba Mate leaves, prepared by putting them in a gourd or "mate" with hot water and sugar, and sipped with a straw-like filter ("bombilla"), usually made of silver.

HORN MATES
Cow-horn mates were used by gauchos and muleteers with a stopper on the wider end.
INSTRUCTIONS TO PREPARE OR "CEBAR" A GOOD MATE
The instructions below may be used for any kind of mate (whether made of gourd, wood, horn, ceramic, china, pottery, metal or even plastic).

BITTER Mate:
- Fill the mate-gourd two thirds full of yerba.
- Cover the top of the mate with your hand and gently shake it upside-down. This is to bring the smallest yerba particles to the top of the mate.
- Turn it back over carefully on its side. Try to keep the yerba inclined along one side. Then pour a little lukewarm water on the emptiest part of the mate and let it soak into the yerba. Repeat this step using hotter water, and allow it to sit again. Insert the straw to the bottom and in the same emptiest side of the mate.
Now you can begin preparing mate with near, but never quite, boiling water.

SWEET Mate:
Follow the same instructions as for bitter mate, but add tea spoons of sugar to taste in each mate, right next to the straw, where the hot water is poured.

See our wide variety in mates of:

• German nickel
• Horn
• Pumpkin
• Cane
• Silver