ChariTea mate is a herbal iced tea that keeps on giving, without the crash of coffee. After becoming a staple of German nightlife culture, it is now taking the UK by storm as many of us look for healthier alternatives to booze and sugary soft drinks.

Have you ever heard of yerba mate? 

If you’ve been to South America, the answer is probably yes. Pronounced ‘mah-tey’, the yerba mate plant is indigenous to this region, particularly around Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil. The characteristic smoky flavour is derived from the way the leaves are commonly dried over a wood fire when harvested. They are then steeped in hot water to make tea, just like your cup at home.

A natural pick-me-up

Mate tea is high in polyphenols, vitamins and antioxidants, and has been observed to lower cholesterol, benefit the cardiovascular system and even aid weight loss. Think of it as a revitalising, pick-me-up herbal tea. Most notably, mate is naturally higher in caffeine than green or black tea. To be more accurate, caffeine in tea is known as theine. 

When tea steeps with water it forms different bonds to those of caffeine in coffee, which usually take longer to enter the blood stream. Instead of a quick fix with coffee, tea is a more mellow, longer lasting boost. Research shows that mate tea sharpens the mind, increases energy and improves concentration. It does this without over-stimulating the central nervous system which can lead to the all too familiar ‘jitters’ and crash from caffeine.

From all-day working to late-night twerking

These invigorating abilities make mate the perfect companion for everyone from all-day workers to late-night twerkers. In fact, mate in its iced tea form was introduced to European popular culture through hackathons in Germany. It then moved into the rave scene and has now embedded itself as a staple of German nightlife as a healthier and longer-lasting alternative to synthetic energy drinks. Now, ChariTea has brought that culture to the UK.

Alongside all of their flavours, ChariTea mate is made using only the best organic, Fairtrade ingredients. Made from real brewed, loose-leaf tea, it is naturally sweetened with agave nectar, with no refined sugar, additives, or other nasties. On top of this, 5p from every bottle is donated to the Lemonaid & ChariTea Foundation. So far, the Foundation has raised over £5 million for development projects in the countries where the ingredients are sourced. Soft drinks, strong values.