Yerba Mate Powers GoWesty!

Yerba mate (pronounced yer-bah mah-tay) is made from the naturally caffeinated and nourishing leaves of the celebrated South American rainforest holly tree (Ilex paraguariensis). Of the six commonly used stimulants in the world—yerba mate, coffee, tea, kola nut, cocoa, and guarana—yerba mate triumphs as the most balanced, delivering both energy and nutrition. For centuries, South America's Aché Guayakí tribe has sipped yerba mate daily for its powerful rejuvenating effects. These rainforest people find tremendous invigoration, focus, and nourishment in yerba mate, and they revere it as the "drink of the gods." Yerba mate is the national drink of Argentina, Southern Brazil, and Paraguay, where it is consumed 6 to 1 over coffee.

Guayakí's "market-driven restoration" business model directly links the customer's purchases to partner farming communities in the South American Atlantic rainforests. Guayakí's partners sustainably harvest organic yerba mate from rainforest-grown cultivations and reforestation projects to generate a sustainable and renewable income.

How did we get hooked on Guayakí Yerba Mate?

GoWesty came into contact with Guayakí by way of (what else?) a 1988 Westfalia Camper. When Guayakí was just getting started, the founders toured the country in a colorful camper named “Danny,” spreading the word about the powerful effects of yerba mate. It just so happens that Guayakí started down the road from us in San Luis Obispo, and there were several mutual friends involved—it's a pretty tight-knit community around here. At any rate, GoWesty proudly kept “Danny” on the road and running well for his tenure with the Guayakí crew. He was eventually repainted and sold to a new home, but we promise he's still in good hands. We started enjoying yerba mate way back in the day, and we still drink it religiously every single day. In fact, we've got a Guayakí-only urn on-site, and we brew up a fresh pot everyday to keep the crew fired up!

Visit them online at www.guayaki.com.