Australians are drinking yerba maté in more places than ever: from the traditional gourd at home, to desks, gyms, markets, festivals and non-alc nights out. The biggest shift is the cold, canned format, which has taken maté beyond the kitchen and into everyday routines. If you want to see where to grab a can, our store locator lists current stockists.

Key Takeaways

• Yerba maté first came to Australia through South American and Middle Eastern communities.

• Today it shows up at work, before training, during study sessions and at home.

• Social settings like BBQs, markets, festivals and Dry July have helped it spread.

• Melbourne is a strong home base, but canned maté is reaching fridges well beyond Victoria.

• Australians drink it hot from a gourd, cold as tererê, in teabags and as a sparkling soda.

Where did Australia's maté habit start?

Yerba maté arrived in Australia with the people who grew up drinking it. South American communities from Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay brought the gourd and bombilla (the metal filter straw) with them, along with the ritual of sharing a round.

It also travelled through the Middle East. The Druze community in Syria and Lebanon made the Levant the region with the highest maté consumption outside South America, and families from those communities have carried the habit with them, including to Australia. Our blog post on the global journey of yerba maté from Argentina to Melbourne tells the longer story.

Where are people drinking it day to day?

The everyday spots are where maté has really grown. Most of them come down to people wanting natural caffeine without another coffee.

• At work, it has become a go-to for the post-lunch slump when coffee is not the vibe.

• Before training, people use it as a lighter pre-gym or pre-run drink with a natural buzz.

• During study sessions, it keeps uni students going through long library blocks.

• At home, the traditional gourd is still the centre of a slow weekend round.

Cold and canned formats make the first three a lot easier, because you can grab one from the fridge and go.

Where does it show up socially?

Yerba maté has found a real place at social plans, especially for people skipping or cutting back on alcohol. A cold can of maté soda feels like a proper drink at a BBQ, house party or gig, rather than a boring backup.

Markets, festivals and events have helped too, because they put maté in front of people who might never pick up a bag of loose leaf. Dry July and the wider sober-curious shift have added to the momentum. If you are planning the drinks for your next catch-up, our guide to the best non-alcoholic party drinks for social weekends has more ideas.

Is it just a Melbourne thing?

Not anymore. Melbourne has a strong maté scene and is where Supermaté is made, so many of our stockists are here.

That said, the interest is clearly national. Online orders mean cans are turning up in fridges well beyond Victoria, and maté is finding new drinkers interstate as more people look for natural energy options that are not coffee or a standard energy drink.

How are Australians drinking it?

There is no single right way to drink maté in Australia. The format usually depends on the moment.

• Hot from a gourd is the traditional way, shared and refilled over a long session.

• Tererê, the cold-brewed version, suits Australian summers and outdoor plans.

• Teabags are the easiest way to try it at home without any special gear.

• Sparkling yerba maté soda is the grab-and-go option for workdays, training and nights out.

• Maté mocktails work well for parties, and our yerba maté mocktail recipes are an easy place to start.

Find your maté moment

Wherever you are drinking it, yerba maté has moved well past a niche tea. For many Australians, it is now part of the workday, the gym bag and the weekend esky.

If you want a cold, low sugar way to join in, browse our yerba maté soda range and keep a few cans of Melbourne-made Supermaté ready for your next maté moment.