Kové Hard Yerba Mate recently opened a yerba mate taproom in the Barrio Logan neighborhood in its hometown San Diego. Kové, launched in May of 2021, might be new to the ready-to-drink (RTD) scene but the brand is steeped in centuries of tradition.
Yerba mate is a plant native to South America. It was originally cultivated by indigenous communities long before European colonization. Like tea, the beverage is prepared by steeping yerba mate leaves in hot water. The resulting herbal brew, mate, often contains more caffeine than an average cup of tea and remains a popular alternative to coffee in the regions where it grows.
Yerba Mate has gained traction in the United States over the last decade. Brands like Guayakí helped popularize the beverage by marketing a non-alcoholic version to Gen Z consumers as a more natural alternative to energy drinks.
Mate contains a host of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants beneficial to health. Additionally, proponents of the beverage claim its caffeine is energizing but without creating the jittery sensation produced by the caffeine in coffee. Even the acclaimed Pasteur Institute notably maintains “yerba mate contains practically all the vitamins necessary to sustain life.”
Kové Hard Yerba Mate is the brainchild of Alex Montelbano, the brand’s Chief Executive Officer, Ryder England, Chief Creative Officer, and Josh Makler, Head Brewer. The trio previously worked for California-based hard kombucha company, JuneShine.
“Kové Hard Yerba Mate was born from the desire to create a simple, transparent beverage with real ingredients and flavors, while amplifying the powerful qualities of Yerba Mate,” stated Makler. “Our combined backgrounds in alternative beverages helped us identify a gap in the market, and what consumers are trending towards. We are excited to introduce something new and innovative — light, flavorful and refreshing Hard Yerba Mate beverages.”
In June, Kové opened an outdoor taproom next to Thorn Brewery. The new taproom is part of the area’s “Acre of Awesome,” a communal space on Thorn’s property featuring eco-friendly food and drink options from several local businesses. The brewery began allowing Kové and other beverage companies to use its tanks and equipment when pandemic-related regulations slowed the beer business.
Kové took over the available taproom space shortly after. Kové’s taproom currently features six mate flavors on tap including Mango Colada, Sweet Peach Heat, Mojito, Lemonade Iced Tea, Passion Berry and Hibiscus Paloma.
Kové Hard Seltzer launched in four canned varieties including Mango Colada, Lemonade Iced Tea, Passion Berry and Mojito. All flavors come in 12 ounce cans and contain an ABV of 5%, less than 3 grams of sugar, and no more than 10 mg of caffeine.
Kové’s canned mates are vegan, gluten free and organic. They are sold in packs of 4 individual flavors. The brand is available in venues and retail locations across California as well as Portland, Oregon. Kové plans to expand its distribution footprint soon.
Kové is not the only hard yerba mate brand hailing from San Diego. Founder Dan Nierman launched Yerbuzz Hard Seltzer
in 2020. The drink features three fruit-forward flavors including Guava, Passion Fruit and Blueberry. The canned cocktails contain 120 calories, no sugar, only 1 gram of carbs and an ABV of 5.5%. Like Kové the brand is vegan, organic and gluten free. Yerbuzz is sold in 6 packs of individual flavors and is currently only available in California.
As Kové begins to expand its distribution and settles into its new tap room, the brand continues to focus on community and sustainability. The organic yerba mate and sugar cane used in Kové’s beverage line are sustainably sourced through the company’s South American partners.
The brand is also actively working towards climate neutrality. Additionally, Kové is a member of the international organization One Percent for the Planet, and has committed to contributing 1% or more of its yearly sales to environmental conservation and similar causes.
The brand believes, “Different walks of life, passions, beliefs; yet a commonality between us all, community. We strive to honor a culture and unite a community of like-minded creatives.” Kové conducts its business and produces its hard yerba mate as a reflection of this vision.
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