Club-Mate


Club-Mate is a caffeinated carbonated mate-extract beverage made by the Loscher Brewery near Münchsteinach, Germany, which originated in 1924. Club-Mate has 20 mg of caffeine per 100 ml. Club-Mate has a relatively low sugar content of 5 g per 100 ml, and low calories compared to other beverages such as cola or most energy drinks.
Also available is Club-Mate IceT Kraftstoff, which is an iced-tea variant with slightly higher caffeine content and with more sugar than original Club-Mate.
Club-Mate is available in 0.33-litre and 0.5-litre bottles.
Examples of Club-Mate-based mixed drinks are: vodka-mate; Tschunk, a combination of rum and Club-Mate; Jaeger-Mate, a mix of Jägermeister and Club-Mate; and Goon-Mate, a half-and-half mix of Box Wine and Club-Mate.

History

Geola Beverages of Dietenhofen, Germany originally formulated and marketed Club-Mate under the name Sekt-Bronte since 1924. The drink was only known regionally until acquired by Loscher and marketed under the name Club-Mate in 1994.
In December 2007, Loscher marketed a Club-Mate winter edition. The limited-edition Club-Mate consists of the original formula mixed with cardamom, cinnamon, star anise and citrus extract. It is since sold regularly for a limited time during winter.
In 2009, a Club-Mate-styled cola variety was introduced. Unlike other colas, its recipe includes mate-extract.
In 2013, Club-Mate Granat, a Club-Mate variety with additional pomegranate flavor, was introduced.
As of July 2010, the company listed additional countries like the United Kingdom, the United States, Belgium, Bulgaria and Luxembourg to reach distributors in 40 countries, primarily in Europe, but also in Canada, Australia, Israel, Turkey and South Africa.

Hacker culture

Club-Mate has developed a following in computer hacker culture and tech start-ups, especially in Europe. Bruce Sterling wrote in Wired magazine that it is the favorite beverage of Germany's Chaos Computer Club. It is also popular at Noisebridge and HOPE in the United States, Electromagnetic Field in the UK and the Hack-Tic events in the Netherlands.
Club-Mate appeared in numerous leading media websites like Al-Jazeera, TechCrunch and Vice.

Ingredients

Tschunk is a German cocktail consisting of Club-Mate and white or brown rum. It is usually served with limes and cane or brown sugar.
Like Club-Mate, the Tschunk is a typical drink within European hacker culture and can often be found at scene typical events or locations like the Chaos Communication Congress.