The days are getting longer and warmer. As I work up a sweat in the garden, or play outside with my family in the lingering dusk, I start to get excited for tereré.

Tereré (say tay-ray-ray) is an iced yerba mate tea from Paraguay. It's refreshing, invigorating, and delicious. Best of all, unlike regular iced tea which takes hours to make, you can make tereré in a minute.

Here's the gear you need:

• A pitcher or wide-mouthed thermos
• A bombilla
• A small glass or metal cup

And here are the ingredients:

• Loose yerba mate
• A fresh lime or lemon
• Sweetener
• Ice

1. First, fill your small cup with loose yerba mate.
2. Next, insert your bombilla filter-end-down into the cup, all the way to the bottom.
3. Now put the cup aside for a moment.
4. Fill the pitcher with ice.
5. Squeeze in a fresh lime or two.
6. Fill the pitcher with fresh water.
7. Finally, stir in some of your favorite sweetener to taste.

That's it! Easy peasy. Pour little sips from the pitcher into the cup, then sip until it gurgles. Pass it around in a circle with your friends, just like hot mate.

(In case you're wondering, you don't need hot water to extract caffeine or nutrition from the herb. The cold water will slowly extract yerba mate's goodness with repeated pours.)

Do you have your own favorite tereré recipe? Like to use soda water for a bit of fizz? Like to use orange juice, crushed raspberries, or pear juice instead of lime? Let us know in the comments thread below.