A Sweet Dream or a Beautiful Nightmare
Published April 25, 2025
Book club episode is coming just around the corner and we're talking all things Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin. What a story!
We HAD to go mate hunting and wouldn't you know....Prooftv.bar brings the goods.
Mate is mentioned a few times in Fever Dream so here's a little about it! And if you don’t know what it is, you’re not alone cuz full disclosure, Val wasn’t really exposed to it until that Megan Sussex show on Netflix so there you have it.
Mate is popular and much loved in many regions of South America, including Argentina where this author is from and where this story takes place.
The drink is meant to be enjoyed with people you care about the preparation of it is very special (we talk more about it on the episode) but let's dive in now to the actual drink because we're pairing its earthy notes with the logical partner: a smoky mezcal!
The Wake Up Call recipe from ProofTV:
1.5 oz smoky mezcal
1 oz chilled GUAYAKÍ Yerba Mate
0.75 oz mate infused simple syrup (hit up your local grocery store, find the bagged tea and steep it in your simple syrup over the stove)
0.75 oz fresh lime juice
0.5 oz unsweetened pineapple juice
2 - 4 dashes of mole bitters
Toss it all in a shaker with ice and do your thing. Serve it up in an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube and garnish with a dehydrated lime wheel (dehydrated lime wheels are having a moment on this show so just go with it!).
On the show, Val recommends just enjoying GUAYAKÍ all on its own -- it's a tasty pre-brewed canned tea beverage so it's great any time BUT...another thing you can try for some mocktail game is this:
Keep the exact same recipe but use 1.5 oz FLUÈRE Smoked Agave (NA substitute) in place of your mezcal!
We're calling it a Sweet Dream. ;)
And remember when working with NA spirits....a light hand with your ice shaking/stirring ok?. Cuz we're not looking for dilution in a mocktail, babe!
Other notes:
GUAYAKÍ Yerba Mate cans offer other flavors besides the original so play around and try different stuff!
They're lightly sweetened so it won't offset the other ingredients.
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