Yerba Mate Lemon

Yerba Mate Lemon from Esplanda is a mixer built on yerba mate with lemon. Treat it as a bittersweet, citrus-led soft drink more than a sweet soda. The details supplied don't include sugar level, carbonation or an ingredient list, so check the label for those. Mate-based drinks of this type usually have a grassy, faintly smoky, tea-like bitterness. The lemon sits on top as a bright, zesty acidity. That bitter edge is what makes it useful behind a bar, because it adds structure where a plain lemon-lime soda only adds sweetness. Serve it well chilled, straight from the fridge and poured over plenty of ice. Warm, it can taste flat and the herbal bitterness gets more prominent. On its own, a tall glass with a lemon wheel and a sprig of mint is enough. As a mixer, it works best in long drinks with a 1:3 or 1:4 ratio of spirit to mixer, adjusted to taste. Gin is a natural match, since the botanicals and the lemon reinforce each other in something like a mate Collins. Vodka lets the mate flavor stay in front. Cachaça or a lightly aged white rum gives a South American-leaning highball. A bourbon or rye with mate and lemon, served on a large cube, makes a drier alternative to ginger ale. If the bottle is still, add soda water to the glass for fizz. If it's already carbonated, pour gently to keep the bubbles. Use a highball or Collins glass filled with ice, since the volume of mixer needs the room. For a spirit-free serve, a stemless tumbler works well. The bitterness and acidity pair well with fatty or salty food, such as grilled meats, empanadas, fried snacks, salted nuts and sharp cheeses. They also cope with spicy dishes better than sweeter mixers do.