Whether one prefers a glass of wine, gin, coffee, or a non-alcoholic tequila, F1 driver-owned brands have a range of beverages that both F1 and non-F1 fanatics can try.
Touring the world in F1, winning races, and bagging World Championships may be their most popular side gig, but several Formula 1 drivers have also dipped their toes in the drinks industry. From brewing, coffee roasting, and distilling, race car drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas have set up different drink businesses for anybody to enjoy.
Hence, we've decided to list some of the best ones owned by F1 drivers currently on the grid for fans to check out.
Disclaimer: This list is curated by the writer. We may have missed out on a few things. Please let us know more in the comments.
Lewis Hamilton's Almave and other drinks from F1 driver-owned brands
Here are the five best drinks to try from F1 driver-owned brands, with different drink options for every kind of drinker:
- Lewis Hamilton's Almave
- Valtteri Bottas' Ihana Wines
- Kahiwa Coffee by Valtteri Bottas
- Valtteri Bottas' Oath Gin
- Daniel Ricciardo's DR3 x St. Hugo Wines
1) Lewis Hamilton's Almave
Almave by 7-time World Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton claims to be the "world’s first and only non-alcoholic spirit," which is created from real blue agave from Jalisco, Mexico, just like real tequila but without the alcohol.
In an exclusive 2023 interview with WWD about the launch of the F1 driver-owned brand, Hamilton said:
"I've always loved tequila for its taste, but there are times when I don’t want the alcohol part of the deal and I know that there is a growing group of people who want the same."
Now he's offering two non-alcoholic blue agave spirits, the Almave Ambar ($40) and Almave Blanco ($36), which can be purchased from the official website.
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2) Valtteri Bottas' Ihana Wines
Ihana, which is a Finnish word for "lovely" or "wonderful," is a boutique wine brand founded by F1's Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas and Oliver’s Taranga winemaker and 6th generation grape grower Corrina Wright.
Talking about starting the brand, Bottas told the Drink Business in 2023:
"The more I learn [about wine], the more interesting it becomes. I always had this vision that I would like to be involved with wine somehow, and not just investing. It’s my passion."
As someone who admittedly picks a South Australian Shiraz as his go-to, it’s the same blend that one can get from the F1 driver-owned brand. Two bottles of Ihana’s South Australian Shiraz 2022 blend sell for $160 on the official website.
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3) Kahiwa Coffee by Valtteri Bottas
Often seen on the paddock with a cup of coffee in hand, every Valtteri Bottas fan would know that good coffee is one of the F1 driver’s lifestyle essentials. Now, he’s also a proud co-owner of the Lahiti, Finland-based Kahiwa Coffee Roastery.
Along with its specialty roastery, the F1 driver-owned brand also runs its own cafe with a great selection of tapas and they also have their specialty coffee beans available for coffee lovers worldwide online.
From their special edition "The Golden Mullet" coffee beans ($22), which is inspired by the F1 driver’s iconic hairstyle, to different roasts from different regions like Colombia, Guatemala, and Brazil, their 200g coffee ranges from $11 to $15.
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4) Valtteri Bottas' Oath Gin
Another drink from F1 driver-owned brands is Oath Gin, which is another one in the "Brand Bottas" list. The gin formula and brand are inspired by the oats grown in Bottas’ family fields in Finland and the popular apples grown in Adelaide, which is the hometown of Australian Olympian Tiffany Cromwell, Bottas' real-life and business partner.
The product is a vacuum-distilled oat gin spiced with apple peels, which, according to their website, has a flavor profile of "floral, spicy, and fruity notes with a hint of pine." It’s priced at $36 on Whisky Paris and can be shipped in 69 countries.
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5) Daniel Ricciardo's DR3 x St. Hugo collection
F1 fans who are also wine lovers can add another bottle of wine to their must-taste drinks from F1 driver-owned brands. Teaming up with the Australian wine brand St. Hugo, the F1 star launched the DR3 brand, which now has a South Australian Shiraz 2020 ($74.99) and Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 ($74.99).
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Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, and Daniel Ricciardo have joined the likes of ex-F1 race car drivers like Jenson Button, David Coulthard, and Mario Andretti outside of the F1 circuit and into the drinks business scene.