Forget the bubbly, try Argentine tea

“Yerba is the Spanish word for herb. Maté, from the Quechua language of the Andes, refers to the gourd in which the drink is made and consumed. The drink, also called Maté ”” is brewed from the leaves and stems of a native tree Ilex paraguarensis, a member of the holly family.

It can be a real gourd, hollowed wood or fancy silver often decorated with painted, carved or hammered geometric designs. About the size of a baseball, the gourd is filled about two-thirds to three-quarters with the mix and then filled with the hot water. After a brief time for steeping, the maté is passed quietly among the group. They sip it through a gold-tipped metal straw known as a bombilla, which has a strainer at the bottom so the drinker doesnt choke on the herb”

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