Where Our Story Begins
maa·tay began in a soccer locker room abroad. Despite the language barrier, I found myself welcomed into a mate circle — passed from hand to hand before matches. A simple ritual that made everyone feel a little more connected. And a love of mate in its traditional form that I brought back home.
Years later, I went looking for where that feeling came from.
The Trip
In 2025, I traveled through Argentina, Paraguay, and Southern Brazil — the Triple Frontier.
I wanted to understand mate at its source, not as a trend, but through the people who live it every day.
I drank mate in kitchens, on sidewalks, in bus terminals, and with farmers who had prepared it the same way for generations. The ritual was always the same: turn on the kettle, pour slow, pass the mate, talk — or don’t. Just be there, together.
Finding Pure Leaf
The biggest turning point was visiting a family-run farm in Southern Brazil. They welcomed me in immediately and were open to working with me on a maa·tay cut and blend — something cleaner, brighter, and more approachable to an untrained palate.
I saw how Pure Leaf grows under the shade of Araucaria trees, how it’s harvested by hand, and how quickly it’s vacuum-sealed to preserve its color and freshness. It was unlike anything in the industry.
That’s when it clicked.
Why We Exist
maa·tay exists to honor the real version of mate — the one I experienced in that locker room, on those long bus rides, in kitchens across the Triple Frontier, and on the farm where Pure Leaf is still harvested by hand.
We're not about convenience.
We exist to carry forward a ritual that brings calm, clarity, and connection into everyday life.
We’re here to slow things down, even for a moment.
To share a grounded energy that actually feels good.
And to bring people together — one pour at a time.