No Bombilla Required

I don't remember exactly when it started but at some point people start asking, "Do you have Mate Tea?" Until a few weeks ago the answer was, "No." But now the answer is , "Yes."

So what is Mate? Good question. Mate is an infusion made from the yerba mate plant. (Us yanks refer to it as "tea.") The plant is from South America and the drink is traditionaly served in a gourd and sipped through a special silver straw, or Bombilla.

Yes mate is caffienated.

And as legend would have it mate was given to the native people of South America by a goddess that came to earth who was attacked by a jaguar. An old man saved her and it return she gave him the gift of a yerba mate plant, telling him that with the plant he could prepare "the drink of friendship."

Here at Joe's we have the very American easy to brew, easy to serve, and easy to drink version. Our's is Pixie Mate, a company in Boulder, and the tea comes in a traditional tea bag. We have a few different flavors so give one a try next time your in the mood for a brewed infusion of a South American plant.

Pain in the Chai

Here at Everyday Joe's we believe in the lost art of craftsmanship. We live in a culture that is all about automation and manufactured products. Take chai for example. Most times when you order chai at a coffee shop it either comes from a powder mix or a carton containing liquid chai concentrate. We do it a little different.

Our chai is made right here at 144 s. Mason Street using a black tea base. We add sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla to that base. We then steep it, strain it, and refrigerate it. That creates our own liquid concentrate which is added to milk and steamed when an order is placed.

Writing it makes it sound so simple but it is really quite a long process with a lot of steps. And this time of year it is a constant battle to keep up with the demand for chai that cooler weather brings.

So next time you come to Everyday Joe's and order a chai that takes less than a minute to serve, know that a lot of work went into that cup of goodness before you even walked in the door.