Pernod Ricard has taken a minority stake in Almave, a non-alcoholic blue agave-based spirit brand co-founded by Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton.
Almave – produced by global spirits company Casa Lumbre in Jalisco, Mexico – is designed to be consumed as a non-alcoholic alternative.
Its current lineup comprises Blanco, a “fruity green vegetal” spirit designed for mixing, and Ámbar, offering “rich and complex notes of cooked agave, caramel and vanilla”.
Presently, it is distributed in the UK by Mangrove and sold with retailers including Amazon, The Whisky Exchange and House of Malt.
Pernod Ricard said it would bring “strong experience in brand building and global distribution” to help grow Almave in global markets.
It described the brand as being at “the intersection between three accelerating global trends” of tequila, non-alcoholic products and consumer “desire for authenticity”.
“Almave is the first non-alcoholic blue agave spirit distilled in Jalisco, Mexico, and blends tradition and innovation to capture the very soul of the best raw materials possible,” the group said.
“With Almave, Lewis Hamilton and Casa Lumbre have designed something that is truly exceptional in terms of quality, taste and positioning,” said Pernod Ricard CEO Alexandre Ricard.
The brand was “a true gem” that paid “full tribute to the craft and savoir faire” of tequila distillation, he added.
Hamilton – who founded the brand in 2023 – added: “It’s exciting that Pernod Ricard has today become an official stakeholder in Almave, allowing us to unleash the potential of the next stage of our journey, and help take Almave to even more people around the world.”
Alongside Almave, Pernod Ricard’s portfolio of agave-based spirits includes the Olmeca Altos, Avión and Código 1530 tequila brands, as well as Del Maguey mezcal and Nocheluna Sotol.
Nocheluna is also produced by Casa Lumbre and fronted by American singer and songwriter Lenny Kravitz.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
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