I met Jim Woods, Brewer of MateVeza Beer about six months ago at Green Drinks. He had brought a keg of his beer to this particular bar and shared a glass with David Anderson and me. We talked about his beer, while sipping away, and let me tell you, both the story and the beer are awesome. I asked Jim to retell his story about how he got started and what his yerba mate beer is all about.

Jim Woods: Yerba Mate Beer
Officially I started brewing the day I turned 21… so I guess that would mean that I “started” brewing while at UCSD.

I stumbled upon the idea of MateVeza a few years ago – I was nursing a pale ale betwixt sips of yerba mate (a cousin of mine introduced me to this wonderful beverage when I was in college) and noticed the way the flavor of the mate and the cascade hops complimented each other; the earthy, herbal, grassy notes of yerba mate paired quite well with the crisp, citrusy flavor of the cascade hops. I later realized that the effects might be another selling point in light of a growing trend of caffeinated alcoholic beverages.

A home brewer for years, I set out to brew a yerba mate pale ale. After experimenting with different recipes, methods, and quantities, I brought a formula and label artwork to Butte Creek Brewing Company in Chico, California because I was a big fan of their beers and their pioneering in brewing organic. We structured a joint venture and brewed the first batch in November of 2006.

Mateveza is brewed with EcoTeas organic yerba mate from a family farm in North Eastern Argentina. The coarsely chopped yerba mate leaves are added during the mash. The yerba mate provides a refreshing herbal finish and a natural source of caffeine equal to about a half cup of coffee per beer.

I decided to brew MateVeza organic because I was committed to using the very best ingredients and having a environmentally responsible product.

MateVeza is brewed with 95% organic ingredients (everything but hops). The USDA has placed hops on their exempt list due to the commercial unavailability. This means that brewers can label beer with the organic seal even if the hops are not organic. Here’s an article from the LA Times if you’re interested in the details.

Keep in mind that organic hops are extremely difficult to source (especially with the current hop shortage). There aren’t any farmers in the US who produce organic hops and the farmers in New Zealand have most of their crop committed for the next few years. Hopefully things will change and organic hops will become available. We will continue to look for a source.

Business has gone really well. Getting approval at Whole Foods and BevMo has been great. And we have expanded our distribution to CA, OR, and WA. We haven’t had much of a budget for advertising or sales support (it’s still a one-man team), so the main challenge is getting the word out and educating people about the product.

We’ve gotten a lot of good press (Mateveza press), which has been awesome. A part of me was worried about how the craft beer community would respond to a caffeinated beer, but they have really embraced it. Most really appreciate the fact that the yerba mate contributes positively to the flavor profile of the beer. The mate buzz is just a bonus (but for some a huge selling point).

I’m currently working on some new packaging and making a big push in the markets we’re currently in. So stay tuned…