Mexican spirits company Casa Lumbre is shifting gears into the non-alc category with one of global sports’ biggest names.
Following launches of a ready-to-drink tequila cocktail and a premium orange liqueur, Casa Lumbre master distiller Ivan Saldaña is partnering with seven-time Formula One champion and entrepreneur Lewis Hamilton on a new non-alc agave spirit.
The product will land stateside in two marques: Almave Ámbar Distilled Non-Alcoholic Blue Agave Spirit, designed for sipping, and Almave Blanco, designed for mixing. Almave Ámbar is set to launch on October 26 (with the waitlist opening today), and Almave Blanco will be released later this year.
“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,” said Saldaña.
Almave is differentiated from other tequila non-alc analogs that may include agave syrup but generally don’t incorporate tequila’s central ingredient, cooked agave. Its production process mimics that of tequila, with a few divergent steps: agave hearts are harvested, cooked, and crushed at the first stage of production, but skip the fermentation stage before being distilled several times. For Ámbar the process then reincorporates the concentrated agave infusion back into the product to infuse it with the flavor and body of an aged tequila.
Almave mirrors other tequila brands that have recently aligned with Formula One drivers as higher end bottles have risen in sales over the past few years. The brand will pop up around F1 races this fall in Austin, Mexico City, and Las Vegas, Saldaña told BevNet.
Hamilton partnered with the spirits company after noticing a gap in the market for a “high-quality” tequila alternative, said Saldaña. It isn’t the driver’s first foray outside of Formula One: the entrepreneur has a fashion line with designer Tommy Hilfiger, vegan chain restaurant Neat Burger, and last year joined the newly-established ownership group of the National Football League’s Denver Broncos.
For on- and off-premise distribution, the brand’s 2023 rollout plan will take a “strategically phased approach,” said Saldaña, first focusing on select on-premise accounts in priority markets as they continue to ramp up production, build awareness and education. For the introduction of Almave Blanco, the company will expand distribution to large off-premise accounts. In 2024, the company plans to introduce Almave globally in priority international markets.
Casa Lumbre has found success in the past by focusing on the opportunity for premium Mexican cocktail additions. The company’s first non-alc product will make an entrance as the category reaches a market value exceeding half a billion dollars in off-premise channels, according to NIQ.
Its latest release, Alma Finca Orange Liqueur is also aimed clearly at the margarita backbar by positioning itself as the “only super-premium Mexican orange liqueur made with all fresh citrus. In 2019, Campari acquired a majority stake in Casa Lumbre’s Ancho Reyes liqueur, made from chiles, and Montelobos Mezcal for $35.7 million.
Since then, Casa Lumbre has also developed other Mexican distillate brands and launched them further into the U.S. market with a boost from several major partnerships and celebrities. Spirit of Gallo announced in August it was partnering with Casa Lumbre and world champion boxer Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez for the launch of VMC, a tequila-based canned cocktail.
Pernod-Ricard has also bought stakes in several Casa Lumbre brands including Abasolo Ancestral Corn Whisky, Ojo de Tigre Mezcal, and Lenny Kravitz-backed sotol Nocheluna.
Separately, Casa Lumbre also recently launched a premium cristalino mezcal, Contraluz, with Colombian singer Maluma.
The 700 ml bottle of Almave Ámbar will debut for a SRP of $38.99 and $36.99 for Almave Blanco.