Gourd Life - Yerba Mate in Toronto

Yerba mate is the South American counterpart to tea and coffee slowly entering the Western mainstream. It's time to get wired like a gaucho.

My first encounter with yerba mate was during a sustained period of early (6am early!) gym-going before heading into the office. I needed a potent pick-me-up that didn't require me to run the coffee grinder, thus saving me from the wrath of waking up Kim. And, to be honest, a shot of espresso on an empty stomach isn't typically conducive to a couple hours of contact sports. Tea fit the bill, but its relatively lackluster caffeine content just wouldn't cut through the early morning grogginess.