How to Make Iced Yerba Mate (Cold Brew & Chilled)
Two easy routes to a refreshing cold mate — cold-brew the loose leaf overnight, or chill a fresh brew over ice — then dress it with citrus, mint, and a touch of sweetener.
By The Yerba Mate Reviews Desk · 7 min · Updated 2026-06-14
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There are two simple ways to make iced yerba mate. The smoothest is to cold-brew: steep loose yerba in cold water in the fridge for several hours (or overnight), then strain it — cold water draws out a clean, mellow, low-bitterness brew. The fast way is to brew mate hot as usual, then chill it and pour it over ice. Either route gives you a refreshing cold drink that's a world apart from a steaming gourd.
From there you dress it up: a squeeze of lemon, lime, or orange, a few mint leaves, and a little honey or sweetener turn iced mate into a genuinely great summer drink — the same idea as iced green tea, with mate's clean energy. (This is the home-made, single-glass cousin of tereré, the traditional Paraguayan cold-mate ritual.)
A nice bonus of going cold: the temperature caution that applies to scalding-hot mate simply doesn't apply to an iced one. Here's how to make it both ways.
The short version
- Two methods: cold-brew loose yerba in cold water for hours (smoothest), or chill a hot brew and pour over ice (fastest).
- Cold-brew ratio: roughly 2–3 tablespoons of loose yerba per quart/liter of cold water, steeped in the fridge ~4–12 hours, then strained well.
- Cold water pulls a cleaner, less bitter brew than hot — cold-brewed mate is naturally smooth and mellow.
- A smooth, unsmoked leaf (Guayakí, Kraus) brews the cleanest cold cup; smoky leaf can taste muddy iced.
- Dress it: lemon/lime/orange, fresh mint, and a little honey or sweetener make a refreshing summer drink.
- Strain through a fine mesh or coffee filter to catch the dust — fine cuts leave more sediment when cold-brewed.
- Bonus: iced/cold mate sidesteps the very-hot-beverage temperature caution entirely — the IARC risk is tied to drinking beverages above 65°C (149°F), which a cold drink never reaches.
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Question 1 of 6
First things first — what are you after with yerba mate?
Cold brew vs the quick-chill method
Cold brewing is the smoothest way to make iced mate. Steeping the leaf in cold water for hours extracts flavor slowly and gently, which pulls out far less of the bitter, astringent compounds that hot water draws fast. The result is a naturally mellow, clean, slightly sweet brew that needs little dressing up.
The quick-chill method trades a little smoothness for speed. Brew mate hot the way you normally would — a gourd, a French press, or as mate cocido — then let it cool and pour it over ice, or chill it in the fridge first. It's ready in minutes instead of hours, and the ice dilutes it slightly, so brew it a touch stronger than usual if you go this route.
Which yerba works best cold
Cold water is honest — it doesn't hide much — so a clean leaf shines and a harsh one shows its flaws. A smooth, unsmoked mate is the safest bet: Guayakí's air-dried organic loose leaf brews a bright, mellow cold cup, and Kraus, with its genuinely smoke-free indirect hot-air drying, is even cleaner. Both make iced mate that's refreshing without any smoky muddiness.
Heavily smoked traditional mates can taste flat or campfire-muddy when cold, so they're a weaker choice here. A very fine, powdery sin-palo cut will brew strong but leaves more sediment, so strain it twice. If you only have tea bags, they cold-steep just fine — drop a couple in a jar of cold water overnight.
Iced mate, tereré, and the temperature bonus
Cold mate isn't new — Paraguay's traditional tereré is yerba steeped with ice-cold water (often with citrus or herbs) and sipped from a gourd through a bombilla, the standard way to drink mate in the heat. The iced mate in this guide is the home-friendly, single-glass cousin: a cold brew or chilled mate you pour over ice in a regular glass and dress however you like.
How to Make Iced Yerba Mate (Cold Brew Method)
- 1
Pick a smooth, unsmoked yerba
Cold-brewing rewards a clean leaf. A smooth, unsmoked mate like Guayakí or Kraus brews a bright, mellow cold cup; a heavily smoked leaf can taste muddy when cold. Loose leaf works best, but you can also cold-steep tea bags.
- 2
Combine yerba and cold water
Add roughly 2–3 tablespoons of loose yerba per quart (about 1 liter) of cold, filtered water to a jar or pitcher. Use more leaf for a stronger brew, less for a lighter one.
- 3
Steep in the fridge for hours
Cover and refrigerate for about 4 to 12 hours — overnight is easy and reliable. Cold water extracts slowly, drawing out a smooth, low-bitterness brew without ever scalding the leaf.
- 4
Strain it well
Pour the brew through a fine mesh strainer, a tea filter, or a coffee filter to catch the leaf and fine dust. Strain twice if your yerba is a fine, powdery cut and leaves sediment.
- 5
Serve over ice and dress it up
Fill a glass with ice, pour the cold brew over, and add a squeeze of lemon, lime, or orange, a few mint leaves, and a little honey or sweetener to taste. Stir and enjoy.
- 6
Or use the quick chill method instead
Short on time? Brew mate hot (in a gourd, French press, or as mate cocido), let it cool, then refrigerate or pour it straight over a tall glass of ice. Dress it the same way. It's slightly less smooth than a true cold brew but far faster.
Key terms
- Cold brew
- Steeping yerba mate in cold water for several hours (often overnight) instead of hot water, for a smooth, low-bitterness brew that's served over ice.
- Tereré
- The traditional Paraguayan way of drinking mate cold — yerba steeped with ice-cold water, often with citrus or herbs, sipped from a gourd through a bombilla.
- Quick-chill method
- Brewing mate hot the usual way, then cooling it and pouring it over ice — faster than cold brewing, slightly less smooth.
Questions, answered
How do you make iced yerba mate?
Two ways. Cold brew: steep about 2–3 tablespoons of loose yerba per quart of cold water in the fridge for 4–12 hours, then strain and serve over ice. Quick chill: brew mate hot as usual, cool it, and pour it over ice. Either way, add lemon or lime, fresh mint, and a little honey or sweetener for a refreshing summer drink.
Can you cold-brew yerba mate?
Yes, and it makes the smoothest iced mate. Combine loose yerba with cold water in a jar (about 2–3 tablespoons per quart), refrigerate for 4–12 hours or overnight, then strain through a fine mesh or coffee filter. Cold water extracts slowly and gently, so the brew comes out mellow and far less bitter than a hot brew poured over ice.
What's the best yerba mate for iced or cold brew?
A smooth, unsmoked leaf brews the cleanest cold cup. Guayakí's air-dried organic loose leaf and Kraus's genuinely smoke-free organic mate both make a bright, mellow iced mate. Heavily smoked mates can taste muddy when cold, and very fine powdery cuts leave more sediment, so strain those twice.
Is iced yerba mate the same as tereré?
They're closely related. Tereré is the traditional Paraguayan ritual — yerba steeped with ice-cold water, often with citrus or herbs, and sipped from a gourd through a bombilla. The iced yerba mate in this guide is the home-friendly version: a cold brew or chilled mate poured over ice in an ordinary glass and dressed with citrus, mint, and sweetener.
Does cold-brewing yerba mate change the caffeine?
Cold brewing extracts more slowly than hot water, but a long steep still pulls plenty of caffeine, so cold-brewed mate is still a caffeinated drink — roughly comparable to a hot brew of the same leaf. The exact amount depends on the leaf, the ratio, and how long you steep it. Mate is a caffeinated beverage, not a dosed supplement, so moderate your intake; this isn't medical advice.
Does iced yerba mate avoid the hot-beverage cancer caution?
Yes. The IARC caution applies specifically to drinking very hot beverages above 65°C (149°F) — it's a heat risk, historically tied to drinking scalding mate through a metal straw, not a risk from yerba mate itself. A cold or iced drink never reaches that temperature, so cold mate sidesteps the concern entirely. This isn't medical advice.
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