Seven International Artists That Love Mate

Green, hot, bitter, with honey, with sugar, with herbs, just as is… One day, this drink planted its flag in Argentinians’ hearts to stay forever. It has many variations, but few opponents. It is the perfect combination of drink and ritual; the faithful companion of every situation: for breakfasts, to pull an all-nighter, for a workday, to share a chat along the river, and much more.

Now, for theoretical purposes —and for those who do not know what it is—, it consists of a hot infusion of yerba mate leaves harvested in Misiones and Corrientes that, apart from making us feel proud, have a lot of benefits. These leaves are antioxidants, prevent cell wear, accelerate metabolism, stimulate heart function, activate the cognitive system, and are an energy boost.

If you haven't tried it, we have just you, haven’t we? Well, if we didn't, let these people guide you, 6 celebrities from the art world who consider themselves fans of the Argentinian drink:

1. Zoe Saldaña 

She played in Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers as Gamora, the green daughter of Thanos. The funny thing is that outside of the film set, the green leaves are present: with a mate in hand, she claims it’s been her ally for more than 10 years. Zoe Saldaña, according to Che Netflix, tried it for the first time in the Dominican Republic before sitting for an exam, and “she never felt so awake.” Years later, also on a film set, she reconnected with the culture of mate through her Argentinian makeup artist. Today, she has it in between scenes when reviewing her lines, and by now, she is such an expert that she teaches how to prepare it here.

2. James Hetfield 

None other than the Metallica singer drinks mate before going on stage. And in this case, his love goes even deeper: his bond with Argentina began when he met his actual wife, Francesca Tomasi, who was born in the same city as the world’s best soccer player Messi. Where? Rosario.

3. Anya Taylor-Joy

Every time Anya speaks Spanish, an Argentinian swells with pride. That’s because her accent has specific colours, and no one can deny that they are our flag’s colours. At just 25 years of age, she has already played roles that are recognized around the globe, such as Beth in The Queen’s Gambit, Gina in Peaky Blinders, or Casey in Split.

What is her story? She was born in Miami, she moved to Argentina when she was 8 months old —where her father is from— and, although at 5 she moved back to London, she put down roots in our culture. In fact, she says: “If I had to define where my attitude to life and quality as a person comes from, I’d say Argentina.” And after such a claim, watching her drink mate is stating the obvious.

4. Marky Ramone

Does rock get along with mate? The answer will not surprise you. Of course it does. This time, Marc Steven Bell, known as Marky Ramone for his role as drummer in Ramones, told in the show Nadie Dice Nada that every time he comes to Argentina, he enjoys our tradition.

5. Kevin Bacon

Some will recognize him as the Golden Globe winner; others, as the well-established Hollywood actor who has a termo (hot water flask) with his initials on it and drinks mate while reading the news. Why not coffee? Because, according to him, drinking coffee is just that, period. Mate, on the other hand, takes time, it’s a ritual, and that’s the fun part.

6. Viggo Mortensen

He is American, his mother is American, and his father is Danish. However, he is not only a mate fan, but also a supporter of San Lorenzo football club, and of course, of Argentina. The thing is, despite being born in New York, he lived in the provinces of Chaco, Buenos Aires, and Córdoba from his 2 to 11 years of age.

He is such a lover of our infusion that he has even filmed scenes drinking mate with a termo with the crest of his favourite football club on (as he did in Captain Fantastic).

7. Travis Fimmel 

The well-known player of King Ragnar Lodbrok in the Vikings series was the latest international star to join the legion of mate worshippers. His first time with our infusion took place in mid-April in the Australian city of Echuca, when an Argentinian-Uruguayan couple invited him to join a round of mate. The blond actor asked, “What is that?” They replied, “It’s like tea.” Everything got recorded in a 27-second video that travelled the world.