Yerba Mate 103: Modern Day Mate

Yerba Mate 103: Modern Day Mate

Highlights

  • Yerba mate is increasing in popularity worldwide—you can even find a yerba mate emoji for use on your smart devices.
  • International celebrities and public figures are increasingly drinking the beverage.
  • You can find real yerba mate flavor in Topography's Yerba Mate Lemon-Mint Trailblazer THC drink.

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We’ve explored the rich taste of Yerba Mate and its even richer history in Yerba Mate 101 and 102. Now it’s time to explore the drink’s modern popularity and cultural impact.


On Your Phone

First off, did you know there was a yerba mate emoji? Approved by Unicode and rolled out in 2019 as part of its Emoji 12.0 release, you can find the image on iOS and Android devices by searching “yerba” in your emoji menu. Check it out!



The image reflects the traditional mate cup and special bombilla straw used to drink the beverage by fans worldwide, including…

World (Mate) Cup

…many World Cup players and fans, such as Lionel Messi, who gifted his Argentinian soccer team with personalized mate collections after this year’s heated contest with Spain. For the first time in history, the 2026 World Cup included six teams from South America: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay.



You may have seen Messi and his teammates enjoying the drink before games, passing a gourd around in a social tradition that dates back centuries. He famously posted a picture of himself with a mate cup in one hand and the World Cup trophy under his arm after his team’s win in 2022.

Speaking of recognizable Argentinian mate drinkers…

Holy Roller

…the late Pope Francis could often be seen drinking the national infusion of his homeland while traveling the world. Considering the historical Jesuit connection with mate, it’s no surprise the head of the Catholic church was an avid drinker of the earthy concoction.



Other notable mate drinkers include Sabrina Carpenter, Anya Taylor-Joy, James Hetfield, Viggo Mortensen, Zoe Saldaña, Kevin Bacon and Matt Damon, star of The Odyssey.

Musical Mate

As the drink becomes ever more popular, you can expect to see it at more social gatherings and events, from sports games to concerts. Like, say, Riverfront Nights. This free months-long music festival has become a staple of Chattanooga summers. And as local Chattanoogans, we knew we had to show up and bring the party.

You can find our Yerba Mate Lemon-Mint Trailblazers (as well our tasty Mixed Berry flavor) on sale every Saturday at Riverfront Nights. With just a touch of caffeine and a light flavor profile, it’s the perfect cold drink on a hot summer evening, when the music’s hitting just right and the sun’s setting behind the stage.



We’re also handing out free swag and educating folks at our tent every Saturday, so be sure to come by and say hi(gh)!

This concludes our series on Yerba Mate. Keep an eye on the blog for future articles!

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Sources

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Author: Josh Garcia

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