Lewis Hamilton creates alcohol-free agave ‘spirit’

Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton has partnered with Casa Lumbre to launch the ‘world’s first’ non-alcoholic ‘spirit’ made with Blue agave.

Hamilton and Mexican spirits group Casa Lumbre have released two expressions: Almave Ámbar Distilled Non-Alcoholic Blue Agave Spirit, created for sipping, and Almave Blanco Distilled Non-Alcoholic Blue Agave Spirit, designed for mixing. Tequila is Hamilton’s drink of choice, but he wanted a version without any alcohol to allow him to ‘live a busy life without restraint’. Spotting a gap in the market, the English racing driver teamed up with agave spirits expert Casa Lumbre, known for producing Montelobos mezcal and Ancho Reyes liqueur, to create the Tequila substitute. “I’m excited to introduce people to Almave – it’s a project I’ve been working on for a long time with Casa Lumbre,” said Hamilton. “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 you all think.” Almave has been made in a similar way to Tequila, using the same raw materials, but the fermentation process has been skipped. “While Almave Distilled Non-Alcoholic Blue Agave Spirit is not a Tequila, we are immensely proud of how we are leading the non-alcoholic category in staying true to the production and craft of making Tequila, specifically the use of real agave and distillation,” Casa Lumbre co-founder and master distiller Iván Saldaña added. “While there are faster ways, we could not imagine a worthwhile non-alcoholic ‘spirit’ without it.” Almave Ámbar will retail at US$39.99 per 700ml bottle and Almave Blanco will be priced US$35.99 per 700ml. The expressions contain 20 calories per 60ml serve. The product is available to buy from www.almave.com and will roll out to retailers and bars in the US (and globally in select regions) next year. Casa Lumbre is also behind the creation of Nocheluna sotol in partnership with musician Lenny Kravitz, Ojo de Tigre mezcal, plus Nixta liqueur and Mexican whisky Abasolo. Last month, Casa Lumbre released an orange liqueur designed to be used in Margaritas. A number of companies have released alcohol-free agave spirits alternatives in recent years, including CleanCo, Mindful Brands' Soldadera, Seven Giants, Fluère, Lyre’s and Ritual Zero Proof. In 2020, UK-based Mockingbird Spirit claimed to launch the first non-alcoholic ‘Tequila’ made with Blue Weber agave.