Lewis Hamilton has launched Almave, the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic blue agave spirit. He curated the product alongside Iván Saldaña, an agave expert and co-founder and master distiller at Casa Lumbre. Hamilton is disrupting the spirits industry through the complex non-alcoholic spirit.
Mexican-based global spirits company Casa Lumbre is in charge of developing and producing the spirit. The company is well known for Mezcals, Liqueurs and Tequilas and its involvement adds an authentic touch to the product. Almave is backed by Copper, an investment and talent advisory firm.
The team has produced two expressions so far. The Almave Ámbar Distilled Non-Alcoholic Blue Agave Spirit is created for sipping and contains notes of roasted blue agave, sweet caramel and toasted wood. On the other hand, the Almave Blanco Distilled Non-Alcoholic Blue Agave Spirit is for mixing in margaritas and tequila cocktails.
Almave is the first to use Blue Agave, a plant native to Mexico. The spirit incorporates the entire tequila-making process but skips the fermentation where the liquid becomes alcohol. The use of real agave and distillation provides drinkers with an opportunity to revel in the taste of tequila without alcohol.
“I’m excited to introduce people to Almave – it’s a project I’ve been working on for a long time with Casa Lumbre. There’s a huge appetite for quality alternatives for those times when people don’t want to drink alcohol but also don’t want to compromise on flavour, which is why it was important that our product includes agave to reflect the taste of conventional tequila. I think it tastes amazing and what we have created is unlike anything else on the market, so I can’t wait to see what u all think.”
Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton got the inspiration to create Almave from his love for tequila. He sought an alternative that would let him live a busy life without restraint. The seven-time Formula One champion realised there was a gap in the market and set out to create a non-alcoholic form of tequila. The product is now available at retailers and bars across the U.S. and select international regions.
Previously, Hamilton has invested in alternative food and beverage enterprises. He opened a vegan burger spot named Neat in Nolita earlier in the year. The Manhattan-based eatery was backed by Hamilton alongside Leonardo DiCaprio to make plant-based food options accessible and affordable to a larger audience.