Club-Mate () is a caffeinated

carbonated Carbonation is the chemical reaction of carbon dioxide to give carbonates, bicarbonates, and carbonic acid. In chemistry, the term is sometimes used in place of carboxylation, which refers to the formation of carboxylic acids. In inorganic ...

mate-extract beverage made by the Loscher Brewery (''Brauerei Loscher'') near Münchsteinach, Germany, which originated in 1924. Club-Mate has 200 mg of

caffeine Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine class. It is mainly used recreationally as a cognitive enhancer, increasing alertness and attentional performance. Caffeine acts by blocking binding of adenosine t ...

per

litre The litre (international spelling) or liter (American English spelling) (SI symbols L and l, other symbol used: ℓ) is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metre (m3 ...

. Club-Mate has a relatively low sugar content of 50 g per litre, and low calories (200 kcal per litre of beverage) compared to other beverages such as

cola Cola is a carbonated soft drink flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, citrus oils and other flavorings. Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, a trademarked brand, in 1886, which was ...

or most energy drinks. Club-Mate is available in 0.33-litre and 0.5-litre bottles. Some Club-Mate bottles include the slogan "man gewöhnt sich daran" which roughly translates into a challenge to the drinker of “one gets used to it." Examples of Club-Mate-based mixed drinks are:

vodka Vodka ( pl, wódka , russian: водка , sv, vodka ) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impuriti ...

-mate; Tschunk, a combination of rum and Club-Mate; Jaeger-Mate, a mix of

Jägermeister ( , ; stylized Jägermeiſter) is a German digestif made with 56 herbs and spices. Developed in 1934 by Wilhelm and Curt Mast, it has an alcohol by volume of 35% ( 61 degrees proof, or US 70 proof). The recipe has not changed since its creation ...

and Club-Mate.

History

Geola Beverages of Dietenhofen, Germany originally formulated and marketed Club-Mate under the name Sekt-Bronte since 1924. The drink was only known regionally until acquired by Loscher and marketed under the name Club-Mate in 1994. In December 2007, Loscher marketed a Club-Mate winter edition. The limited-edition Club-Mate consists of the original formula mixed with

cardamom Cardamom (), sometimes cardamon or cardamum, is a spice made from the seeds of several plants in the genera ''Elettaria'' and ''Amomum'' in the family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to the Indian subcontinent and Indonesia. They are r ...

cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus '' Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, brea ...

, star anise and

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is nati ...

extract. It is since sold regularly for a limited time during winter. In 2009, a Club-Mate-styled

variety was introduced. Unlike other colas, its recipe includes mate-extract. In 2013, Club-Mate Granat, a Club-Mate variety with additional pomegranate flavor, was introduced. As of July 2010, the company listed additional countries like the United Kingdom, the United States, Belgium, Bulgaria and Luxembourg to reach distributors in 40 countries, primarily in Europe, but also in Canada, Australia, Israel, Turkey, Taiwan and South Africa.

Hacker culture

Club-Mate has developed a following in computer hacker culture and tech start-ups, especially in Europe.

Bruce Sterling Michael Bruce Sterling (born April 14, 1954) is an American science fiction author known for his novels and short fiction and editorship of the '' Mirrorshades'' anthology. In particular, he is linked to the cyberpunk subgenre. Sterling's firs ...

wrote in ''

Wired ''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fran ...

'' magazine that it is the favorite beverage of Germany's

Chaos Computer Club The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) is Europe's largest association of hackers with 7,700 registered members. Founded in 1981, the association is incorporated as an ''eingetragener Verein'' in Germany, with local chapters (called ''Erfa-Kreise'') in ...

. It is also popular at Noisebridge and

HOPE Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large. As a verb, its definitions include: "expect with confidence" and "to cherish ...

in the United States,

Electromagnetic Field An electromagnetic field (also EM field or EMF) is a classical (i.e. non-quantum) field produced by (stationary or moving) electric charges. It is the field described by classical electrodynamics (a classical field theory) and is the classica ...

in the UK, the Hack-Tic events in the Netherlands and the

FOSDEM Free and Open source Software Developers' European Meeting (FOSDEM) is a non-commercial, volunteer-organized European event centered on free and open-source software development. It is aimed at developers and anyone interested in the free and ...

in Belgium. Club-Mate appeared in numerous leading media websites like Al-Jazeera,

TechCrunch TechCrunch is an American online newspaper focusing on high tech and startup companies. It was founded in June 2005 by Archimedes Ventures, led by partners Michael Arrington and Keith Teare. In 2010, AOL acquired the company for approximat ...

and

Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, or Habit (psychology), habit generally considered immorality, immoral, sinful, crime, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refe ...

Ingredients and Variations

Water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as ...

Inverted sugar syrup Inverted sugar syrup, also called invert syrup, invert sugar, simple syrup, sugar syrup, sugar water, bar syrup, syrup USP, or sucrose inversion, is a syrup mixture of the monosaccharides glucose and fructose, that is made by hydrolytic ...

* Sugar * Mate tea extract *

Citric acid Citric acid is an organic compound with the chemical formula HOC(CO2H)(CH2CO2H)2. It is a colorless weak organic acid. It occurs naturally in citrus fruits. In biochemistry, it is an intermediate in the citric acid cycle, which occurs in t ...

Caffeine Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine class. It is mainly used recreationally as a cognitive enhancer, increasing alertness and attentional performance. Caffeine acts by blocking binding of adenosine t ...

* Natural flavors *

Caramel color Caramel color or caramel coloring is a water-soluble food coloring. It is made by heat treatment of carbohydrates (sugars), in general in the presence of acids, alkalis, or salts, in a process called caramelization. It is more fully oxidized than ...

* Carbonic acid There are several variations on the original recipe available: Club-Mate IceT Kraftstoff (an iced-tea variant with slightly higher caffeine content (220 mg per L) and more sugar), Club-Mate Granat (with added pomegranate for a more fruity taste) and Club-Mate Winter Edition (with spices giving it a gingerbread-like taste - this edition is only available during the winter months).

Tschunk

Tschunk is a German

highball A highball is a mixed alcoholic drink composed of an alcoholic base spirit and a larger proportion of a non-alcoholic mixer, often a carbonated beverage. Examples include the Seven and Seven, Scotch and soda, gin and tonic, screwdriver (a.k. ...

consisting of Club-Mate and white or brown rum. It is usually served with

limes Limes may refer to: * the plural form of lime (disambiguation) * the Latin word for ''limit'' which refers to: ** Limes (Roman Empire) (Latin, singular; plural: ) is a modern term used primarily for the Germanic border defence or delimitin ...

and cane or brown sugar. Like Club-Mate, the Tschunk is a typical drink within European

hacker culture The hacker culture is a subculture of individuals who enjoy—often in collective effort—the intellectual challenge of creatively overcoming the limitations of software systems or electronic hardware (mostly digital electronics), to a ...

and can often be found at scene typical events or locations like the

Chaos Communication Congress The Chaos Communication Congress is an annual conference organized by the Chaos Computer Club. The congress features a variety of lectures and workshops on technical and political issues related to security, cryptography, privacy and online ...

Notes and references

External links