yerba mate in my car

Drinking and driving is bad. But what about our beloved mate? We can’t stop drinking this holy herb because we’re in a car. No sir! What sort of car ride would that be. A pretty boring one for a Matero.

It doesn’t matter where I’m going, if I need to drive somewhere, mate is usually my #1 passenger. There’s nothing like sipping on some soothing yerba while pushing some wheels around the block.

No doubt, drinking and driving is dangerous—drinking anything. So I’ve put together a few practices that I use to keep safe and have fun while slurping yerba mate down 101.

  1. Store your mate and thermos in the cup holders for easy access.
  2. Wait for a stop sign or red light to refill a fresh cycle.
  3. If you’re with another Matero, have him or her be the server by default.
  4. If your yerba spills, don’t worry about it; forget about cleaning up while you’re driving.
  5. Shut off the radio and allow for great conversation to arise with other Materos in the car.
  6. For some fun in the cold weather, drive to the beach or bay, park, and have a long circle in the car with several friends. We just did this the other night and had a blast.
  7. When you find the adjacent car staring at you with wonder, as to why you’re hitting the bowl so early in the morning, bring your gourd up high, smile, and say proudly “salud!” Then drive away feeling good.
  8. If a sudden feeling of euphoria take over your body while drinking mate and driving, slowly pull down your window and yell with all your heart “I FUCKING LOVE YERBA MATE!!!!”

Share your car circles with us.

Learn more:

How much yerba mate should you drink? >>

The art of the yerba mate bombilla >>