If there were an “if you know, you know” drink, it would be Yerba Mate. Yerba Mate is a South American herbal drink similar to tea that has energizing properties and deep-rooted cultural value. Today, Yerba Mate has become a cult favorite drink because of its natural caffeine properties that give you a boost in energy without the typical caffeine crash. The drink has become quite commercialized and is widely distributed and marketed as a canned caffeinated tea, popular among college students as a healthier energy drink alternative.
As Yerba Mate drinks become more popular, demand for them is increasing, specifically on college campuses, including at Cornell. While you definitely can’t find Yerba Mate everywhere, here are a few spots that reliably sell Yerba Mate in and around campus.
1. Bear Necessities | RPCC
RPCC has consistently sold Yerba Mate in a variety of different flavors year-round. They’ve installed a Yerba Mate-branded refrigerator, which probably means Yerbas will be sold here for the foreseeable future. Yerba Mate is typically about $1 more expensive than at other vendors or grocery stores, but the proximity to campus likely outweighs the cost!
Pictured above: Yerba Mate in RPCC
2. Straight from the Market | Willard Straight Hall
Another consistent spot on campus that sells Yerba Mate drinks is the market in Willard Straight on the first floor above Okenshields. This is one of the only places on Central that sells Yerba Mate, so just be sure to take note of their hours, as they are closed on weekends.
3. 7/11 | Collegetown
7/11 has basically everything you could need in a pinch, including a variety of Yerba Mate flavors.
4. Grab N Go Mini Mart | Collegetown
This mini mart on Eddy St. is super close to campus and is well stocked for a convenience store. They have Yerba Mate in stock pretty consistently, along with a variety of energy drinks.
5. GreenStar | Collegetown, Downtown, & Ithaca
GreenStar is almost always well stocked, with an entire refrigerator dedicated to just Yerba Mate. GreenStar offers Yerba Mate at significantly better prices—around $2.99 compared to $3.99 at other vendors—and frequently runs deals on these drinks as well.
Pictured above: Yerba Mate in GreenStar
6. Wegmans | Ithaca
Wegmans sells almost everything you could imagine, including Yerba Mate. Buying Yerba Mate at grocery stores like Wegmans is also always cheaper than buying Yerba Mate on campus.
7. Walmart | Ithaca
Walmart is another one of the big box stores that reportedly sells Yerba Mate. While I’ve never purchased Yerba Mate from Walmart, this website shows that they are sold in stores in Ithaca.
8. Target | Ithaca
Similar to Walmart, I have never bought Yerba Mate from Target before, but they are reportedly available to purchase in stores. Target’s online website says that the Lansing Target location has limited quantities of Yerba Mate in stores, but they are available online.
9. CVS | Ithaca
CVS occasionally has Yerba Mate in stock. CVS’s website says Yerba Mates are sold in stores in the Ithaca location, but they carry quite limited flavors.
While this list is far from exhaustive, these are the places in and around Cornell that somewhat reliably sell Yerba Mate on the regular! Every once in a while, Yerba Mate vendors distribute drink promos as part of their University of Yerba campaign around college campuses nationwide. Be sure to stop by if you ever see a yellow van handing out Yerba Mate!
Vivien Dobrescu is a first-year in the College of Architecture, Art and Planning. She can be reached at vmd33@cornell.edu.
