The perfect cocktail for a lazy girl: The first of our Mati drinks series

The perfect cocktail for a lazy girl: The first of our Mati drinks series

Before I get into the cocktail, I have to talk about mate first because I feel like a lot of people here in the Netherlands just do not know what it actually is. Mate is huge in Brazil, it is basically part of everyday life there. Roasted leaves, brewed up, packed with natural caffeine,it does not hit you like coffee does. No jitters, no crash later, just a steady kind of energy that actually lasts, and that is exactly what Mati is, except without any sugar or sweeteners. 

So the other day, my boyfriend and I were getting ready to go out, and we were both exhausted. Like barely wanting to leave the house exhausted. I had a can of Mati in the fridge, mixed it with some rum and lime just to see, and that was it. Genuinely turned our whole night around, and we ended up having such a good night.

But not only that, this drink is also basically zero calories, with no sugar in the Mati at all. And I'm an avid drinker of the “skinny bitch” cocktail, which for everyone who doesn't know what it is, it's basically vodka, ice, lime and sparkling water. I’ll be honest, a skinny bitch is low calorie but tastes like water, the Mati rum though? Basically zero calories, yummy, AND gives you long lasting energy, I'm in loovee.

It also just might genuinely be the easiest cocktail out there. No syrups, no shaking, nothing complicated at all, here is what you need:

Fifty milliliters of rum, white or aged, whatever is in your cabinet. 

Juice of half a lime. 

One can of Mati, either Original or Sparkling works. 

And ice, a lot of it.

To make it, just fill your glass up with ice first, do not skimp on it since more ice keeps things cold without watering the drink down too fast. Squeeze your lime straight over the ice, pour the rum in, then top it off with Mati. Give it a light stir, if you went with Sparkling just be gentle so you do not lose the fizz.

That is literally it. Two minutes, maybe less, and you have got a drink that tastes like a proper night out but with real mate behind it.

This is the first one in our little Mati Mixology series, five drinks for five different moods basically. If this one got us through a rough night, wait until you see what is next.

Grab a can, grab some rum, and join the ritual.