Yerba Mate Recipes: Ways to Drink It Beyond the Gourd
Tereré, iced mate, a mate latte, citrus and herbs (yuyos), and a mate cocktail — simple ways to use yerba mate beyond the traditional plain gourd.
By The Yerba Mate Reviews Desk · 7 min · Updated 2026-06-14
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The traditional gourd is just the start. The same yerba mate brews into tereré (ice-cold mate with juice and herbs), iced mate, a frothy mate latte, citrus- and mint-infused cups, and even cocktails — all using the loose leaf you already have.
Mate is more versatile than its ritual reputation suggests. Because it's a brewed infusion at heart, anything you'd do with tea or cold brew works here: chill it, sweeten it, mix it with milk, spike it with citrus, or steep it cold overnight. These are the most popular ways drinkers branch out beyond the plain gourd.
Below are simple, repeatable recipes — a step-by-step for the classic tereré, plus quick methods for an iced mate, a mate latte, herb-and-citrus infusions, and a mate cocktail.
The short version
- Tereré is cold-brewed mate — yerba in a guampa with ice-cold water, usually mixed with citrus juice and herbs (yuyos).
- Iced mate is just brewed mate, cooled and poured over ice — an easy summer swap for iced tea or cold brew.
- A mate latte blends strong-brewed mate with steamed or frothed milk for a coffee-shop-style drink.
- Citrus (lemon, orange peel) and herbs (mint, lemongrass) brighten any cup — a Paraguayan tereré tradition.
- Mate works in cocktails too — a brewed-and-chilled mate makes a lightly caffeinated mixer.
- However you brew it, use hot (not boiling) water for hot recipes and let it cool below scalding before drinking.
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Question 1 of 6
First things first — what are you after with yerba mate?
Tereré: cold mate with juice and herbs
Tereré is the cold-brewed form of mate — the summer drink of Paraguay and northern Argentina. You pack yerba into a guampa (the cold-mate cup), insert a bombilla, and pour ice-cold water over it, almost always jazzed up with fruit juice and crushed herbs called yuyos (mint and lemongrass are classic). It's refreshing, lightly caffeinated, and endlessly customizable. Full step-by-step below.
Iced mate: the easy cold-brew swap
The lowest-effort cold option: brew mate as you normally would (hot, not boiling), let it cool, and pour it over ice — or steep loose yerba in cold water in the fridge for 6–12 hours for a true cold brew, then strain. Sweeten lightly if you like, add a lemon wheel, and you've got a crisp iced-tea alternative with mate's natural lift.
Quick method: Steep ~2 tablespoons of loose yerba in 2 cups of cold water in the fridge overnight. Strain through a fine sieve or a tea bag, pour over ice, and add citrus to taste. Cold-brewing keeps it smooth and low in bitterness.
Mate latte: mate meets steamed milk
A mate latte is mate's answer to a coffee latte. Brew a strong, concentrated mate — more yerba, same hot-not-boiling water — strain it, then top with steamed or frothed milk (dairy or oat work well). A touch of honey or a pinch of cinnamon rounds it out. It's a cozy, café-style way to enjoy mate without the gourd.
Quick method: Steep ~3 tablespoons of yerba in 6 oz of ~165°F water for 3–4 minutes, strain well, and pour into 4–6 oz of frothed milk. Sweeten to taste.
Citrus, mint & herbs (yuyos)
One of the easiest upgrades to any mate — hot or cold — is to add citrus and herbs. A strip of orange or lemon peel, a few mint leaves, or a stalk of lemongrass crushed into the water brightens the cup and softens mate's bitterness. In Paraguay, tereré is rarely drunk without yuyos; the herbs are muddled into the cold water before pouring.
A mate cocktail
Brewed-and-chilled mate makes a lightly caffeinated cocktail base. A simple one: combine ~2 oz of cold, strong-brewed (and strained) mate with ~1.5 oz of your spirit of choice, a squeeze of lime, and a little honey syrup, then shake over ice. Mate's herbaceous, grassy edge plays well with botanical spirits and citrus.
How to Make Tereré (Cold Yerba Mate)
- 1
Chill your water
Fill a pitcher or thermos with ice-cold water. For traditional flavor, add a splash of fruit juice (orange, grapefruit, or pineapple are popular).
- 2
Add herbs (yuyos)
Crush a small handful of fresh mint, lemongrass, or a strip of citrus peel into the cold water and let it infuse for a few minutes.
- 3
Fill the guampa
Pack the guampa (the cold-mate cup) about halfway to two-thirds with loose yerba, then tilt and tap to settle the leaf to one side, leaving a low spot.
- 4
Insert the bombilla
Wet the low spot with a little of the cold water, then insert the bombilla into it. Don't stir or move the bombilla afterward, so the filter stays clear.
- 5
Pour and refill
Pour ice-cold water (with juice and herbs) into the low spot, drink it down through the bombilla, and refill many times from the chilled pitcher as you go.
Questions, answered
What can you make with yerba mate besides the traditional gourd?
Plenty. Tereré (cold mate with juice and herbs), iced mate (brewed and poured over ice, or cold-brewed overnight), a mate latte (strong mate plus steamed milk), citrus- and mint-infused cups, and even cocktails using brewed-and-chilled mate as a lightly caffeinated base. The same loose yerba works for all of them.
What is tereré?
Tereré is the cold-brewed form of yerba mate, the summer drink of Paraguay and northern Argentina. You pack yerba into a guampa, insert a bombilla, and pour ice-cold water — almost always with fruit juice and crushed herbs (yuyos) like mint and lemongrass. It's refreshing and lightly caffeinated, the cold counterpart to a hot gourd.
How do you make a mate latte?
Brew a strong, concentrated mate — steep about 3 tablespoons of yerba in 6 oz of hot (not boiling, ~165°F) water for 3–4 minutes, then strain it well. Pour it into 4–6 oz of steamed or frothed milk (dairy or oat), and sweeten with honey or add a pinch of cinnamon to taste. It's a café-style way to drink mate without the gourd.
Can you cold-brew yerba mate?
Yes — it's one of the smoothest ways to drink it. Steep about 2 tablespoons of loose yerba in 2 cups of cold water in the fridge for 6–12 hours, then strain through a fine sieve or tea bag and pour over ice. Cold-brewing keeps the cup low in bitterness and is the easy version of iced mate.
Can you put lemon, mint, or herbs in yerba mate?
Absolutely — it's traditional. A strip of citrus peel, a squeeze of lemon, fresh mint, or lemongrass brightens any cup and softens mate's natural bitterness. In Paraguay, tereré is rarely made without these herbs (called yuyos), which are crushed into the cold water before pouring.
Is it safe to make a yerba mate cocktail?
Brewed-and-chilled mate makes a lightly caffeinated cocktail mixer that pairs well with citrus and botanical spirits. Just keep portions modest: combining caffeine with alcohol can mask how much you've had, so drink responsibly. As with any hot recipe, brew the mate with hot (not boiling) water and let it cool first. This isn't medical advice.
Keep reading
What Is Tereré (Cold Yerba Mate)?
The cold-brewed mate of Paraguay, explained.
What Is a Guampa?
The cup tereré is made in.
The Best Yerba Mate for Cold Brew
The leaves that shine cold.
How to Prepare Yerba Mate (Step by Step)
Master the traditional hot gourd first.
The Best Yerba Mate You Can Buy Right Now
Our anchor roundup across every style.