The brand launched in 2023 and is now available in 10 global markets including the US and UK.
And last year, Pernod Ricard invested in a minority stake in the brand, championing the brand as one that represents the ‘confluence of three accelerating global trends’: namely tequila, non-alcoholic products and the desire for authenticity.
Moving forward, the French wine and spirits giant will use its brand building expertise and global distribution network to help scale the product.
Samia Okie, global marketing director, sits down with BeverageDaily and shares the brand’s growth strategy.
BD: Introduce us to Almave!
SO: Almave – the world’s inaugural distilled non-alcoholic blue agave spirit – was created by seven-time Formula One champion and entrepreneur Lewis Hamilton, alongside agave expert and Casa Lumbre Co-Founder & Master Distiller Iván Saldaña.
Initially launched in October 2023 in Mexico & the USA, we have two expressions: Almave Ámbar Distilled Non-Alcoholic Blue Agave Spirit, created for sipping, and Almave Blanco Distilled Non-Alcoholic Blue Agave Spirit, created for mixing.
Adapting time-honored tequila making traditions, Almave is the first super premium non-alcoholic Blue Agave spirit made in Jalisco, Mexico that does not compromise on taste or quality.
With Iván Saldaña’s expertise and Lewis Hamilton’s passion for greatness, we blended tradition and innovation to create a revolutionary product.
So Almave is a non-alcoholic tequila then?
Almave is the only non-alcoholic product to use the coveted Blue Agave. Like tequila, Almave is made from the same raw materials in the same part of Mexico, only skipping the fermentation process where the liquid becomes alcohol.
As such, Almave is not referred to as tequila (a protected denomination in Mexico), but a Blue Agave Spirit – providing drinkers with an option to enjoy tequila’s fresh and distinct agave taste and character, without the alcohol.
What does Almave taste like?
Almave is not designed to taste like tequila, but rather to stay true to the raw materials where it comes from: Blue Agave from Jalisco.
The product development took over a year to make sure that we were able to bring something to the table that was truly exceptional.
With two expressions Almave covers a bast notes spectrum to fulfill different consumers.
Almave Ámbar Blue Agave Spirit includes notes of roasted blue agave, sweet caramel and toasted wood. It’s great for sipping, or in your favorite spirit forward cocktail.
Almave Blanco Blue Agave Spirit is the purest expression of blue agave, with balanced sweetness and acidity perfect for mixing in a margarita, or your favorite tequila cocktail.
“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 flavor, 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”
Lewis Hamilton
Where did the name ‘Almave’ come from?
Almave comes from the combination of two words “Alma” which means soul and “Agave”, our raw material so basically the soul of Agave
How do you recommend serving Almave?
Almave is perfect for sipping or mixing into your favorite cocktail.
Almave launched just over a year ago. Tell us about that first year
Yes, Almave is new to the market, and our focus has been building our brand in the right places at the right time.
Having such a global celebrity means it’s been a challenge to tackle down where to expand next! However, the brand has had an amazing response all over the world talking both to end-consumers and trade alike.
In a lot of markets, consumers do not fully understand what a ‘non-alcoholic’ drink really is, where it comes from, how it’s made. Being able to teach consumers that being non-alcoholic could also be a synonym of quality, complexity and flavor without additives has been great!
What does Lewis Hamilton bring to the brand?
Lewis Hamilton is not only a co-founder, but he is truly involved in all processes and decision making of Almave.
He is also the perfect brand ambassador as Almave is aligned to his way of living.
Tell us about your social media strategy - starting with the 133k followers you have on Instagram..
Our social media strategy is simple, we aim to connect with our consumers. So we try to have evergreen, organic content off all the ways, places and moments where you can enjoy Almave.
Having Lewis as an amplifier is great to get more traction and gain following.
What does January look like for Almave?
January is a great month to talk more about brands like Almave, given the famous “Dry January“ challenge.
However, for many of us, January is associated with restriction, and we want to change that.
We want to keep encouraging balance and camaraderie. So we will be promoting through our program: The Almave Guide to Clubs: a roadmap for those that will love to ‘go beyond proof’ in 2025.
