Actually, it was free bottles of Bombilla Gourd iced maté tea, which the company was giving away at a booth on Madison Avenue today. I grabbed a blueberry-flavored 16-ouncer, just because it was nearest to me and I was carrying a powerful thirst on a hot day.

It was good. It was also caffeinated, which is pretty much what I insist upon for my tea beverages. So it’s all good.

I’m wondering why Bombilla Gourd was giving their stuff away. Beverage giveaways aren’t unusual around Manhattan, even for established brands; Snapple, for one, rolls out bins of freebies when it introduces new flavors. Still, Bombilla’s maté drink is widespread enough, in stores, eateries and anywhere else. I’m not complaining, mind you.

Anyway. Yerba maté is quite the botanical booster. I might have to start looking for the hot tea version (and hope it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, like most obscure-exotica food items tend to be around here).