i tried yerba mate in an an automatic drip coffee maker with some cream and sugar and i was blown away by the energy i got from it. there was no caffeine crash. it was a sustained energy. it takes a while to kick in so u gotta drink it first thing in morning. u can find some popular bags of it on amazon. it has to be the loose leaf stuff, not the individual bags. i think i tried Taragui Yerba Mate Con Palo. but there are other brands that are just as good.
i spent a while in argentina and they drink it down there with the gourds. it's interesting. we would be in a meeting and someone would start passing around a gourd and each person would drink from the same gourd during a business meeting. that person would refill it with hot water from a thermos and pass it to the next guy.