I Tried Lewis Hamilton’s Nonalcoholic Tequila—Here’s My Honest Review

It’s a pretty universally accepted truth that drinking and driving don’t mix. So when I saw that Lewis Hamilton, seven-time Formula One champion, was releasing a nonalcoholic tequila brand called Almave, that just made sense to me. I didn’t realize until later that Lewis himself is sober, and has been for two years.

“I don’t know if I’m going to drink again,” he told Vogue in 2023, at the beginning of his sober-curious journey. “Since I’ve stopped drinking, I’ve just been feeling so much better, so much more clarity.”

He’s not the only celebrity who has spoken publicly about ditching alcohol. Tom Holland recently shared his sobriety journey on the Rich Roll Podcast, saying that after a Dry January in 2022, his sleep, stress management and relationships were better. He’s since launched his own nonalcoholic beer called BERO. With all the celebrities dropping alcohol brands (like Margot Robbie and Meghan Markle), it was only a matter of time before we were going to see an influx of nonalcoholic celebrity brands. And with Gen Z drinking less alcohol, there’s a newfound interest in a sober, or “sober-curious” lifestyle.

I quit drinking for a year in 2017, back when the options for NA beers and spirits were pretty pitiful. So I was excited to dive into Lewis Hamilton’s Almave spirits and see if they could scratch that itch for a hangover-free cocktail—especially in a social setting.

What is Lewis Hamilton’s nonalcoholic tequila line?

Firstly, some background on Almave. Something important to note is that I’m referring to it as a “NA tequila” when that isn’t technically correct. While Almave uses blue agave, the same plant as tequila, it’s not fermented like tequila. I don’t want the tequila truthers coming for me in the comments—I know it’s different!

There are three varieties of Almave: Blanco, Ámbar and Humo. While Blanco and Ámbar are meant to evoke classic silver and reposado tequilas, Humo is smoky like mezcal. My initial impression was that the bottles were absolutely beautiful. They’re eye-catching shades of blue and brown, and the Humo bottle has a brushed matte finish that makes it look like sea glass. They have impressive labels too, and if I wasn’t inspecting them closely I probably would have just assumed they were fancy bottles of tequila.

I was provided with recipe cards for the Blanco and Ámbar bottles, so that’s what I followed when I made my cocktails. Humo can be used in place of tequila for any cocktail, so I decided to use it with the Blanco recipe.

What do Lewis Hamilton’s nonalcoholic tequilas taste like?

I invited my parents over to sample the drinks. This was partly because I wanted multiple opinions, but mostly because I wanted my dad to mix the cocktails. I had to take notes!

Almave Margarita

• 3 oz Almave Blanco
• 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• 1/4 oz agave nectar
• 3 dashes orange bitters
• Garnish with salt rim and lime wedge

This cocktail had all the classic elements of a margarita: salt on the rim, a lime wedge and lots of ice. It looked and smelled like a margarita, and seeing it next to the fancy Almave bottle was a little bit of a mind twist, because it felt like a real tequila experience. Upon tasting, I thought it was incredibly smooth. There wasn’t that classic bite from the tequila, but it was a pleasant drink. I think that if I made it again, I’d skip the agave nectar—it just made the drink a little too sweet! My dad said, “It’s margarita-ish” and my mom called it “pleasant and refreshing.”

Almave Old Fashioned

• 3 oz Almave Ámbar
• 1/8 oz agave nectar
• 4 dashes bitters
• Garnish with lemon and orange zest and an orange peel

Damn, this is good. I couldn’t get enough of this unique flavor profile! It’s almost like a fall-inspired margarita. The Ámbar spirit has a lot of aromas, and with every sip I was getting something different: cinnamon, vanilla, orange, apple. This would be really great to sip on like brandy, or maybe just over ice with a twist. “It almost tastes like root beer!” said my mom, and she’s really onto something here. I don’t know how reminiscent it is of any tequila I’ve ever tried, but this is certainly a delicious nonalcoholic spirit that I think anyone would love.

Almave Smoky Margarita

• 3 oz Almave Humo
• 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• 1/4 oz agave nectar
• 3 dashes orange bitters
• Garnish with salt rim and lime wedge

Since there wasn’t a recipe card with the Humo, we just decided to make the margarita again. I’ve had mezcal before, and I have to admit I’m not the biggest fan of smoke-flavored cocktails. But I will try a couple sips of pretty much anything. It smelled very smoky, but the lime did cut through it a bit. My first sip was overwhelmingly smoky, and I coughed a little. The second sip was calmer, but all I could really taste was smoke. It didn’t really impress me, and especially not after the delight that was the Ámbar old-fashioned. Neither one of my parents liked this drink … like, at all. Unless you’re really a smoky cocktail fan, I’d sit this one out.

Final Thoughts

I thoroughly enjoyed this experiment. All three spirits mimicked the ritual of mixing a cocktail really well, and I think that’s at least half the fun. My dad noted that the bottles were well designed; they have a lip at the top that stops the liquid from dripping down the side after it’s been poured. I walked away liking the Ámbar the best, even though it was the least like tequila of the three. This is just proof that the main benefit of trying something completely new is that you truly never know what you’ll find! I found a new appreciation for the elegance of sipping on a homemade cocktail knowing that I wouldn’t have a headache the next morning.

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