Chás Leão

Matte Leão, the consumer-facing name associated with Chás Leão, is a Brazilian infusion and tea brand owned by The Coca-Cola Company. Its identity is rooted in mate, the infusion made from Ilex paraguariensis, a plant native to southern Brazil and historically used by Guarani communities. The spelling “Matte” is an older orthographic form retained in the trademark, while “mate” is the current Portuguese spelling for the herb and beverage. Over time, the brand expanded from processed mate for export into a broad portfolio of dry infusions, concentrated products, and ready-to-drink beverages. The business began in Paraná on May 8, 1901, when Agostinho Ermelino de Leão Júnior founded the St. Augustine Factory. Its first commercial activity centered on mate, which was exported to Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile. After Leão Júnior’s death in 1908, his wife Maria Clara assumed control. A factory fire in 1912 led to a relocation to Curitiba, after which the business recovered and expanded. By the early 1920s, exports reportedly reached as much as 5,000 tons per year. In 1926, the company completed facilities connected to a railway extension, improving the movement of its production to the port of Paranaguá and supporting further exports to Montevideo and Buenos Aires. Another major fire destroyed the plant in 1930. During its first decades, the enterprise operated across numerous unrelated activities, including timber, coffee, wheat milling, livestock, mining, waterways, safes, and air transportation. It also participated in the creation of Aerolloyd Iguassu. The company developed early promotional activity as well, producing a film to advertise its products during the 1930s. Later in that decade, management focused more directly on mate after recognizing the popularity of chilled infusions. In 1938, it introduced toasted Matte Leão, promoting it through an illuminated boat operating off Rio de Janeiro’s Botafogo beaches and using the slogan “Já vem queimado, use e abuse.” The brand’s most important consumer transition came in 1950, when it introduced a ready-to-drink iced mate infusion. The product responded to a strong Rio de Janeiro beach culture in which homemade iced mate was sold by street vendors from large drums. Subsequent formats broadened access: concentrated mate in bottles appeared by 1969, and tea bags were introduced in 1973, initially in natural lemon and toasted mate variants. In 1983, Leão added a range of herbal infusions including chamomile, lemongrass, candy grass, boldo, and mint. Ready-to-drink mate in 300-milliliter cups arrived in 1987, initially aimed at beach sales in Rio de Janeiro. The portfolio continued to diversify through larger and smaller ready-to-drink packages, a new Rio de Janeiro factory in 2002, functional and blended infusions in 2004, and a zero-calorie ready-to-drink green tea launched in 2006. Product combinations included mate with lemon, peach, and guarana, as well as flavored green tea, black tea with cinnamon, and seasonal or winter-oriented offerings. In 2007, The Coca-Cola Company acquired the company. That year also saw the introduction of Green Tea Spree, described as a lightly carbonated, low-calorie green tea with lemon. In 2009, the brand introduced a concentrated Matte Leão product intended to reproduce a homemade mate taste. The brand’s documented scope includes more than 100 types of infusions, spanning traditional mate, herbal teas, fruit blends, functional positioning, concentrates, and packaged ready-to-drink beverages.

The history of Matte Leão begins with the commercial development of mate in southern Brazil. Ilex paraguariensis had long been used by Guarani communities before becoming a widely traded agricultural product after the seventeenth century. On May 8, 1901, Agostinho Ermelino de Leão Júnior founded the St. Augustine Factory in Paraná. The enterprise initially processed and exported mate, sending product to Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile. Following Leão Júnior’s death in 1908, his wife, Maria Clara, took over the business. A factory fire in 1912 forced the company to move to Curitiba. After rebuilding and restructuring, the business expanded considerably. Its exports reached up to 5,000 tons annually in the early 1920s. In 1926, the company completed industrial facilities supported by a railway extension, allowing its own production to be transported to the port of Paranaguá for export to Montevideo and Buenos Aires. The plant was destroyed by another fire in 1930. The facility had included its own electricity generation, a rail terminal, and housing for workers, illustrating the scale of the operation at the time. During the first three decades, the company was diversified well beyond beverages. Its activities included timber, coffee, wheat milling, livestock, mining, waterways, safes, and air transport, including participation in the creation of Aerolloyd Iguassu. It also invested in product promotion and prepared an advertising film during the 1930s. By the end of that decade, the business increasingly concentrated on mate. In 1938, it launched toasted Matte Leão after identifying the appeal of chilled infusions. An illuminated boat traveling along Rio de Janeiro’s Botafogo beaches promoted the product with the slogan “Já vem queimado, use e abuse.” In 1950, Leão introduced its first ready-to-drink iced mate infusion. The launch reflected an established Rio de Janeiro consumption habit: homemade iced mate was sold by beach vendors in large drums during hot weather. The company subsequently developed several convenience formats. A bottled mate concentrate was introduced by 1969, while tea bags arrived in 1973 with natural lemon and toasted mate variants. In 1983, the brand broadened its dry infusion range with chamomile, lemongrass, candy grass, boldo, and mint. In the summer of 1987, it launched ready-to-drink infusion in 300-milliliter cups, initially emphasizing beach sales in Rio. Manufacturing and packaging expanded in the early 2000s. In 2002, the business opened a new factory in Rio de Janeiro and produced multiple package sizes for iced infusion, including 330-milliliter, 500-milliliter, 1.5-liter, and 300-milliliter cup formats. In 2004, it introduced functional and blended infusions. The range included Boa Noite, positioned for relaxation; Silvestre, combining strawberry, raspberry, and black currant notes; Orchard, combining peach, apple, cherry, and orange; and Tropical, combining fruit flavors such as mango, pineapple, apple, and banana. The wider portfolio also included mate with lemon, peach, and guarana. In 2006, Leão launched a zero-calorie ready-to-drink green tea in Brazil, alongside dry products such as flavored green teas, black tea with cinnamon, and a winter line featuring chocolate and caramel-flavored mate. The portfolio’s growth attracted The Coca-Cola Company, which acquired the business in early 2007. That same year, Leão launched Green Tea Spree, a lightly carbonated, low-calorie green tea with lemon. In 2009, it introduced a concentrated Matte Leão product intended to deliver a homemade taste. The modern brand is documented as offering more than 100 types of infusions and as spanning traditional mate, herbal products, blended flavors, concentrates, tea bags, and ready-to-drink beverages.

1. 2009Concentrated Matte Leão is introduced

   The brand launched a concentrated mate product intended to reproduce a homemade taste.

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2. 2007Coca-Cola acquires the company

   The Coca-Cola Company acquired the Leão business and the brand launched Green Tea Spree in Brazil.

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3. 2006Zero-calorie ready-to-drink green tea launches

   The Brazilian portfolio gained a zero-calorie ready-to-drink green tea.

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4. 2004Functional and blended infusions are introduced

   Leão added functional and fruit-blended products, including Boa Noite, Silvestre, Orchard, and Tropical.

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5. 2002New Rio de Janeiro factory opens

   A new factory opened in Rio de Janeiro as the brand expanded its iced-infusion packaging formats.

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6. 1987Ready-to-drink infusion cups launch

   The company introduced 300-milliliter ready-to-drink infusion cups, initially targeting beach consumption in Rio de Janeiro.

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7. 1983Herbal infusion range expands

   Leão launched herbal variants including chamomile, lemongrass, candy grass, boldo, and mint.

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8. 1973Mate tea bags enter the portfolio

   The brand introduced tea bags, initially offering natural lemon and toasted mate variants.

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9. 1950First ready-to-drink iced mate infusion

   Leão commercialized ready-to-drink iced mate in response to the popularity of homemade iced mate sold on Rio de Janeiro beaches.

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10. 1938Toasted Matte Leão is launched

    The company introduced toasted Matte Leão for chilled consumption and promoted it through an illuminated boat campaign in Rio de Janeiro.

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11. 1930Second major factory fire

    Another fire destroyed the company’s newer plant, which included electricity generation, a rail terminal, and worker housing.

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12. 1926Rail-connected facilities support exports

    New facilities and a railway extension enabled the movement of mate to the port of Paranaguá for export.

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13. 1912Factory fire leads to relocation

    A fire destroyed the factory, prompting the company to move its operations to Curitiba.

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14. 1908Maria Clara assumes control

    Following the death of Agostinho Ermelino de Leão Júnior, his wife Maria Clara took over the business.

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15. 1901St. Augustine Factory is founded

    Agostinho Ermelino de Leão Júnior founded the St. Augustine Factory in Paraná on May 8, establishing the business that developed into Leão’s mate and infusion brand.

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A Brazilian heritage infusion brand centered on mate and positioned around natural herbal beverages, refreshment, variety, and convenient consumption formats.

• Toasted Matte LeãoToasted mate infusion1938

  A toasted mate product associated with the brand’s 1938 shift toward chilled infusion consumption. It helped establish Matte Leão as a recognizable mate name in Brazil and was promoted as a beverage suitable for preparation and consumption over ice.

• Ready-to-drink iced mateReady-to-drink tea beverage1950

  A packaged iced mate infusion introduced in 1950 after the company observed the popularity of homemade iced mate sold by beach vendors in Rio de Janeiro. The line later expanded across bottles, cups, and multiple package sizes, making mate available in a convenient, immediately consumable format.

• Matte Leão tea bagsTea bags1973

  The tea-bag range began with natural lemon and toasted mate variants. It extended the brand beyond prepared iced drinks and concentrates into a household preparation format that could be made with hot water or chilled for iced consumption.

• Herbal infusion rangeHerbal infusion1983

  The dry infusion portfolio expanded in 1983 with chamomile, lemongrass, candy grass, boldo, and mint. These products broadened the brand from mate into familiar herbal beverages and supported its positioning around variety and natural infusion consumption.

• Functional and blended infusionsFunctional and fruit infusion2004

  Introduced in 2004, this group included Boa Noite, Silvestre, Orchard, and Tropical. The products used combinations of herbs and fruit-oriented aromas, with Boa Noite associated with relaxation and the other variants built around blended profiles such as berries, orchard fruits, or tropical fruit.

• Ready-to-drink green teaReady-to-drink green tea2006

  A zero-calorie ready-to-drink green tea launched in Brazil in 2006. The broader green-tea offering also included flavored dry green teas and helped extend the brand into a category associated with lighter, contemporary beverage choices.

• Green Tea SpreeLightly carbonated green tea beverage2007

  A ready-to-drink green tea with lemon described as lightly carbonated and low in calories. Its 2007 Brazilian launch added a more contemporary carbonated format to Leão’s established infusion portfolio.

• Concentrated Matte LeãoMate concentrate2009

  A concentrated mate product introduced in 2009 for consumers accustomed to drinking mate regularly. It was designed to offer a homemade-style taste while simplifying preparation and serving at home.

• 1938Illuminated boat promotion

  Brazil · Rio de Janeiro

  To introduce toasted Matte Leão, the company used a lighted boat that traveled along the beaches of Botafogo in Rio de Janeiro. The promotion featured the slogan “Já vem queimado, use e abuse,” linking the product’s toasted preparation with a highly visible nighttime beach spectacle.

  Outcome. The campaign is documented as an early example of the company’s innovative product advertising.

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• 2007Sale of the Leão business to The Coca-Cola CompanyM&A

  The Leão portfolio had expanded from traditional mate into tea bags, herbal infusions, concentrates, ready-to-drink mate, and green tea products.

  What changed. The Coca-Cola Company acquired the company in early 2007 and incorporated the brand into its beverage portfolio.

  Aftermath. The brand continued product development, including the Brazilian launch of Green Tea Spree in the same year.

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• 2006Expansion into zero-calorie ready-to-drink green teaProduct launch

  Leão had developed a substantial range of mate and herbal infusions and was broadening its presence in packaged tea beverages.

  What changed. The company launched a zero-calorie ready-to-drink green tea in Brazil.

  Aftermath. The product expansion preceded Coca-Cola’s acquisition of the business and was followed by the launch of Green Tea Spree in 2007.

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• 2002Expansion of ready-to-drink manufacturing and packagingStrategy

  Demand for packaged iced infusion required formats suitable for different consumption occasions and retail channels.

  What changed. Leão opened a new factory in Rio de Janeiro and developed 330-milliliter, 500-milliliter, 1.5-liter, and 300-milliliter cup packages.

  Aftermath. The move strengthened the brand’s ready-to-drink platform and broadened the range of package sizes available for iced infusion.

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• 2009Leão launches concentrated Matte Leão product

  The brand introduced a concentrated mate product designed to provide a homemade-style taste for regular mate drinkers.

  Product launch
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• 2007The Coca-Cola Company acquires the Leão tea business

  The Coca-Cola Company acquired the Leão business, bringing the Brazilian mate and infusion brand into its portfolio.

  M&A
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• 2007Leão introduces Green Tea Spree in Brazil

  The brand launched Green Tea Spree, described as a lightly carbonated, low-calorie ready-to-drink green tea with lemon.

  Product launch
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1. Chás Leão
2. Matte Leão official website