Lewis Hamilton’s Almave Blanco lands in UK

The second expression from alcohol-free ‘spirit’ brand Almave will be distributed in the UK by Mangrove Global.

Almave has been created by Hamilton and Mexican spirits group Casa Lumbre. The Blanco launch follows that of Almave Ámbar Distilled Non-Alcoholic Blue Agave Spirit, which arrived in the UK in March. While Ámbar is designed to be sipped, Blanco is recommended to be used in mocktails. Like Tequila, Almave is distilled from agave in Jalisco, Mexico, with the fermentation process skipped to make it alcohol-free. Iván Saldaña, master distiller at Casa Lumbre said: “We believe we have once again redefined what is possible with the distillation of Blue agave, maintaining the true production and craft of age-old Mexican traditions for making Tequila, and we’re incredibly excited to bring our country and traditions to more places around the world. “We are pleased that we have maintained the true production and craft of making Tequila, but without the alcohol. While there are faster ways to make this, we could not imagine a worthwhile ‘spirit’ without it.” Hamilton won the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Sunday (7 July). He said: “Almave Blanco tastes better than ever after winning my home race. “I’m proud to launch Almave Blanco in the UK. It joins Almave Ámbar in standing apart from anything else on the market as a quality, alcohol-free alternative with no compromise on flavour, authenticity or process.” Almave Blanco has an RRP of £24 (US$31) and is available to the on- and off-trade via Mangrove Global. Nick Gillett, managing director of Mangrove Global, said: “To bring Almave’s second SKU to market is an absolute pleasure for Mangrove – especially when it’s a liquid that carries the delicious flavours and sense of occasion of Tequila, with the low-alcohol content that we know consumers are looking for. “The team behind this drink have gone above and beyond to bring something fresh and a bit exciting to UK drinkers – and it’s been a long time coming.”