17:10 ETYerba Madre Builds on 30 Years of Yerba Mate with New Flavors, Formats, and NEXTY Recognition

, /PRNewswire/ -- Yerba Madre, the category leader in yerba mate, returns to Natural Products Expo West with its most comprehensive innovation slate to date. Spanning loose leaf, bottled, canned, sparkling, and convenience-exclusive formats, the 2026 lineup reflects three decades of building yerba mate as a distinct source of smooth, sustained lift—rooted in regenerative agriculture, ingredient integrity, and designed for modern lifestyles. At the center of this year's presence is Yerba Madre Traditional Air-Dried Loose Leaf, named a 2026 NEXTY Award finalist. First introduced in 1996 and relaunched in 2025 under the Yerba Madre name, the product was the world's first yerba mate loose leaf to achieve Regenerative Organic Certified® Gold. Sourced from regenerative, shade-grown agroforestry systems stewarded by Indigenous and family farmers across Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, it established the agricultural and sourcing standards that now extend across the entire Yerba Madre portfolio—including 2026's milestone launch of Unsweetened Original Yerba, the brand's first ready-to-drink yerba mate to feature the Regenerative Organic Certified® seal on can. Yerba mate has long been shared as a ritual of vitality and connection. As Yerba Madre expands into new ready-to-drink formats and flavors, the brand is launching the world's first Shade-Grown Yerba Mate seal, which will be rolled out in its air-dried loose leaf this year, a standard it has developed to validate Indigenous and family farmers growing yerba mate under forest canopies and within restored agroforestry systems. "For 30 years, our founders believed that building yerba mate the right way meant caring for the land, the people who grow it, and the future of the category," said Ben Mand, CEO of Yerba Madre. "Regenerative Organic Certified and verified Shade-Grown standards are the foundation—but innovation is how that vision continues to grow. As we expand into new formats and flavors, we're proving that progress, values, and growth can move forward together."New products rolling out in early 2026 include: Sparkling, Reimagined – a refreshed sparkling yerba mate line formulated with 115 mg of naturally occurring caffeine, launching at Sprouts and select Albertsons locations Lower Sugar Enlighten Mint – a next-generation update to one of the brand's highest-velocity SKUs Additional launches through spring 2026 include: Strawberry Kiwi – first c-store exclusive launch at Extra Mile and Jacksons Cherry Sublime – first exclusive c-store launch at 7-Eleven Mango Fuego – a limited-run seasonal inspired by peak-season mango, rolling out March–May "We see innovation as stewardship," said Jennifer Brush, VP of Product Innovation and Brand at Yerba Madre. "Yerba mate is deeply rooted in South American culture. Our role is to bring that tradition into American life with care for the plant—grounded in regenerative agriculture and expressed through formats and flavors that invite more people to experience the ritual and possibility of yerba mate."Yerba Madre products are available nationwide across natural, conventional, mass, club, and convenience channels, with placement in more than 45,000 retailers across the U.S. and Canada. At Expo West, attendees can explore the full Yerba Madre lineup at the following booths: Hall E, Main Booth #5120: New still (non-sparkling) releases Organic Products Hall B, Booth #1617: New Sparkling line For more information, visit www.YerbaMadre.com or follow @yerbamadre on social media.About Yerba MadreYerba Madre—formerly Guayakí Yerba Mate—is the 30-year pioneer of regenerative yerba mate [yer-bah ma-tay] and the category leader in ready-to-drink mate beverages across North America. The name Yerba Madre is a tribute to Mother Earth and the ancestral wisdom of the Indigenous communities who have cultivated yerba mate for generations—a reflection of the values the brand has championed since day one.Headquartered in Oakland and Los Angeles, California, Yerba Madre sources regenerative, organic, shade-grown yerba mate in direct partnership with 257 Indigenous and farmer families across Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. Using its Market Driven Regeneration™ model, every purchase helps conserve and restore the Atlantic Forest, support fair trade premiums, and build long-term economic resilience for grower communities.Yerba Madre is proudly the first yerba mate to be Regenerative Organic Certified® and the first company in South America to achieve ROC™ Gold status, marking a dual milestone in regenerative agriculture and ethical sourcing. This achievement affirms the brand's leadership in regenerative business. The ROC™ seal debuted on Yerba Madre packaging for Traditional Air-Dried Loose Leaf and Mate Bags in May 2025.As one of the original founding B Corps, Yerba Madre is committed to ethical business practices across ten key pillars, including climate positivity, living wages, circularity, and inclusion. Yerba Madre is available in over 45,000 retail locations across the U.S. and Canada. To learn more, visit www.YerbaMadre.com.SOURCE Yerba Madre