Mateworkshop
Introduction
During the Diver Days 2018 we organized a mate workshop. The participants had the opportunity to make their own mate tea and experiment with different ingredients.
The following ingredients and materials were available:
- Yerbata Mate Tee
- Citric Acid (powder)
- Black Tea
- Limes
- Lemons
- Crushed Ice
- Sugar
- Cane Sugar
- Whole Cane Sugar
- Water
- Water with (few, medium, much) bubbles
- Elderflower sirup
- Many thirsty hackers
Workshop
At first we tried to copy Club Mate but as we found out soon enough we can make much better things with the ingredients we have, Note that we made a three times concentrated kind of sirup so we can make larger amounts of tea using different combinations.
We started with three different infusions of mate tea.
- Cold infusion
- Mate tea infused in cold water and letting it rest for 6-20 hours depending on the time on hand
- Hot infusion 1
- Like normal team with boiling water
- Hot infusion 2
- Reusing the used leaves from hot infusion 1
Cold Infusion
Austere, slightly bitter, like the other two combined
Hot Infusion 1
Austere, slightly bitter, intense flavor
Hot Infusion 2
Lighter, less intense flavor and not really austere
Findings
Mixture of Infusion 1 and 2 should yield the best results but we have not yet tested this. Cold infusion is also a viable alternative if you have enough time on hand, as this takes anywhere from 6 to 20 hours depending on your time. Surprising was the synergy with elderflower sirup. Sugar does not dissolve easily in cold water.
Conclusion
After hours of experimenting and trying different things we found our favorite:
- 1 10oz glass
- 1 part elderflower sirup
- 1 heaped teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid
- 1 teaspoon freshly pressed lemon juice (alternatively use lime juice)
- Mix well
- Top with ice
- Fill with cold infused mate tea
- Eventually dilute with water if the beverage is too strong
Ideas for next time
- Ginger Mate
- Ingwerer Mate
- Caramel sirup
- Mixture 1. und 2. Infusion
- Hibiscus sirup
Glossary
- Ingwerer: Tasty ginger based alcoholic liquor that brings out the sharp- and freshness in the ginger.