How to Make Iced Yerba Mate in 60 Seconds (No Gourd)

October 16, 2026

To make iced yerba mate fast, stir a serving of instant yerba mate powder into a splash of cold water, top it up with more cold water, and pour it over a full glass of ice. That's it: no gourd, no straining and no waiting for leaves to steep, and it takes about a minute.

Below you'll find the 60-second method, a few easy variations, how it compares to traditional iced mate, and answers to the questions people ask most.

What Is Iced Yerba Mate?

Iced yerba mate is simply yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) served cold. It isn't a new trend. In Paraguay, the cold version is called tereré: cold water, plenty of ice and often crushed herbs, poured over yerba mate and sipped through a metal straw called a bombilla. In 2020 UNESCO added the practices and traditional knowledge of tereré to its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It's also popular in parts of Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia, where some people make it with citrus juice instead of water (source).

Traditional tereré uses loose leaf and the right gear. If you just want a cold glass of yerba mate at your desk or in the car, instant powder gets you there with a spoon and a glass.

How to Make Iced Yerba Mate in 60 Seconds

You need: instant yerba mate, cold water, ice and a glass (or a shaker bottle).

Add the powder. Use 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) of Atlast Unflavored Instant Yerba Mate, or 1 scoop (11 g) of Atlast Lemon Mint Yerba Mate+.
Mix with a splash of water. Stir the powder into 2–3 tablespoons of cold water first. Making a small slurry like this helps it mix evenly instead of floating on top.
Top it up. Add 8–12 oz of cold water and stir, or put the lid on and shake for a few seconds.
Pour over ice. Fill a glass with ice and pour. Taste, then adjust: more water for a lighter drink, a little more powder for a stronger one.

Want to skip the store run? Get Lemon Mint on Amazon or get Unflavored on Amazon.

Unflavored or Lemon Mint: Which Works Better Iced?

Both work cold. The choice comes down to whether you want a blank canvas or a ready-to-drink flavor.

	Unflavored	Lemon Mint
Serving	1/2 tsp (2.5 g)	1 scoop (11 g)
Servings per bag	50	30
Ingredients	Yerba mate (leaf) only	Yerba mate extract, L-theanine, fiber blend, lion's mane, natural flavors and more
Sugar	0 g, unsweetened	2 g (sweetened with allulose and stevia)
Caffeine	Naturally caffeinated	100 mg per scoop, plus 100 mg L-theanine
Best iced as	A base for lemonade, juice, milk or your own sweetener	Straight over ice with water

If you like the earthy, grassy taste of plain mate, start with Unflavored. If you want something that tastes finished the moment you stir it, go with Lemon Mint. Not sure what plain mate tastes like? Our guide on what yerba mate tastes like walks through it.

Easy Iced Yerba Mate Variations

Once you have the basic method down, these are quick ways to change it up:

Yerba mate lemonade: Mix Unflavored with half cold water and half lemonade over ice. This is close to the citrus-juice style of tereré.
Sparkling iced mate: Make the slurry with still water, then top with sparkling water instead of still. Pour slowly so it doesn't foam over.
Iced mate latte: Mix Unflavored with a splash of water, then add cold milk or oat milk and a little honey or maple syrup.
Citrus and mint: Add a squeeze of orange or lime and a few fresh mint leaves to Unflavored, or add extra lemon slices to Lemon Mint.
Batch pitcher: Multiply the servings by the number of glasses, mix in a pitcher with cold water, and keep it in the fridge. Stir before pouring.

Instant vs Traditional Iced Yerba Mate (Tereré)

Traditional tereré is a social ritual. A guampa (cup) is filled with loose yerba, cold water is poured over it again and again, and it's shared. Some home recipes skip the gourd and cold-brew loose leaf instead, for example by shaking about 1 tablespoon of leaf with 1¼ cups of cold water and straining it over ice.

Instant powder trades the ritual for speed. There are no leaves to strain and no gear to clean, and every glass uses the same measured serving. It's the easiest option for the office, the gym bag or travel. If you enjoy the full ritual on weekends, the two can live side by side.

Tips for the Best Iced Yerba Mate

Use plenty of ice. Ice melts as you drink, so a full glass keeps the flavor from tasting watered down too fast.
Start with less water. You can always add more. It's harder to fix a drink that's too weak.
Sweeten Unflavored to taste. It's unsweetened, so a little honey, syrup or juice goes a long way. Liquid sweeteners mix into cold drinks more easily than sugar.
Keep the bag sealed. Close the pouch tightly after each use and store it somewhere cool and dry.

Ready to try it? Get Atlast Lemon Mint on Amazon for iced mate that's ready in one stir, or get Unflavored on Amazon if you want to build your own.

FAQ

Can you drink yerba mate cold?

Yes. Cold yerba mate has a long tradition: in Paraguay it's called tereré and is made with cold water and ice. Instant powder makes the cold version even quicker, since there's nothing to steep.

Does instant yerba mate mix in cold water?

It mixes best with a little prep. Powder can clump if you dump it straight into a full glass of cold water, so stir it into a small splash of water first until it's smooth, then add the rest of the water and the ice. A shaker bottle helps too. If you have warm water handy, dissolving the powder in a little warm water first and then adding cold water and ice is the easiest way to get a smooth drink.