Mate has been around for a very, very, very long time. In the beginning, South American indigenous tribes noticed these abundant trees growing and figured out that they could dry the leaves and brew them for something to drink. They didn't have cups back then, so they harvested some gourds, hollowed them out and used them for drinking vessels. They didn't have any handy tea bags to brew their mate in, so they stuck their loose mate leaves in the new make-shift cup - but then they realized they needed a straw. Plastic wasn't around then either, so they headed to the invention lab yet again and forged a straw out of metal. Sound like a lot of work? Well, it was. Fortunately for us, making mate is really, really easy today.

To make a great mate latte - we recommend that you use mate latte concentrates. They are strong (about 165mg of caffeine), consistent and delicious. Also, they contain 9 times the antioxidants of a serving of green tea (much more nutritious than using a tea bag or pulling a mate shot). All you need to do is steam up equal parts mate concentrate and milk (or soy). You can make a great iced mate latte by pouring this combo over ice. Price these drinks the same as your chai offerings. It is just that easy.

Pixie Mate sells great mate blends. From our un-smoked, pure leaf Authentic Mate to our Chocolate Mate Solstice (mate with chicory root, ramon nut and cocoa), we have some tasty organic combinations. We can provide you with an attractive food-service-ready tea rack - FREE - with a qualifying order. It will look great on your counter. All tea boxes are perforated for ease of use - whether full service or self service.

For cafes that are committed to loose tea, we sell Authentic Mate (unsmoked, pure leaf mate), Mate Chai (similar to our Mate Chai Latte concentrate ­ but loose) and Mate Limon (mate with lemon verbena and lemongrass). For a great summer tea - brew the Mate Limon and offer as an iced tea. For any of these 3 options, you will want to use about 3 grams of mate (about as much in a tea bag) for 10-12 oz. of water. If you are brewing in gallon quantities, use about 35g of loose mate per gallon.

Here's a picture of the Free Rainbow Rack