Playadito

Playadito is an Argentine yerba mate brand based in Colonia Liebig within the Corrientes province. This brand falls under the umbrella of the Cooperative of Colonia Liebig, an organization that produces several kinds of goods. Here, they take care of the full yerba mate process, including harvesting and packaging. The Cooperative offers six different yerba mate varieties, including

Traditional, Despalada (Without Stems), Hierbas, Liebig Original, Tereré, and Yemaype. In total, they produce 18 million kilos of yerba a year, all of which undergoes an aging process of at least 12 months.

The Cooperative was officially founded on December 19, 1926, by a group of German, Ukrainian and Polish immigrants. The story goes that the town of Colonia Liebig was established by Germans, who were soon joined by other immigrants in Argentina who shared their work ethic. The first Cooperative President was Walter Orstermann, but today it’s led by Ricardo Daniel. Since the early days, the Cooperative has grown to include honey, livestock, rice, and mate. 

According to their statistics, the Cooperative of Colonia Liebig has 130 member producers and 225 direct employees. In this small town, they provide the main source of employment. The grounds include yerba mate fields and production plants, including 7 dryers. In this way, they produce the popular Playadito yerba mate that’s known for its mellow yet classic flavor. In particular, their bestselling Traditional variety is a favorite with yerba mate enthusiasts. 

The Cooperative of Colonia Liebig is a part of the Yerba Mate Route, an NGO that tracks key spots related to yerba mate in Argentina. They’re a big-name in Corrientes and you can even visit them. They’re open to the public, so you can see their historic room and industrial process, as well as taste their products. Check out their location from Monday-Friday starting at 8:00 a.m.