CHAMPAGNE and Formula One have a long history together on the winners podium, but it’s one that’s not ideal for spectators who want to drive themselves home after the race. Moet Hennessy is changing that with a new alcohol-free sparkling wine partnership with F1, announced Thursday (Sep 4).
Its French Bloom brand will now be served in all Paddock Clubs, the F1 Garage and other locations at each F1 race. The agreement is part of a 10-year multi-brand sponsorship deal with parent LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, potentially worth more than US$1 billion.
“When we released our first cuvees in 2021, I think none of us on the founding team could have ever even imagined that we would be making this announcement with Formula One – I don’t think at that time as well F1 would’ve even considered it,” says Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger, who co-founded French Bloom in 2019 with the model Constance Jablonski. “But there’s been so much evolution in the sport, as well as in the non-alcoholic (NA) space, over these few years.”
The French wine maison uses de-alcoholised chardonnay and pinot noir to produce Le Blanc, Le Rose and L’Extra Brut, among other wines, and sells in more than 60 countries. Moet Hennessy, the wines and spirits division of LVMH, acquired a minority stake in October 2024.
The partnership follows a spate of NA beverage companies aligning themselves with the automotive world as the segment expands exponentially. Sales of zero-proof drinks in the US alone increased 24 per cent to US$199 million in 2024 compared with the year earlier, according to NeilsenIQ. The industry is expected to hit US$40 billion globally by 2033, driven by increasing numbers of “flexi-drinkers”, who imbibe alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages depending on the occasion, and by Gen Z-ers choosing to mitigate their alcohol consumption.
“When we first developed French Bloom, we initially thought it would be for pregnant women or the sober community,” says Frerejean-Taittinger. “We were completely wrong about that. Our customers are from all walks of life – they’re just drinking a little bit less.”
A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU
Friday, 2 pm
Lifestyle
Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself.
Automotive events in particular are a natural if counterintuitive fit for NA beverages, since motor races, rallies and concours are often celebratory in nature but tempered by a dearth of alcohol-free options. In June, Tom Holland’s Bero, a zero per cent ABV beer, partnered Aston Martin at the 24 Hours of Le Mans; two months later, seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton unveiled Almave Humo, a non-alcoholic mezcal alternative.
Partnerships within motorsport are especially apropos considering that some races, such as the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, happen in countries where alcohol is verboten. The younger generations who tend to drink less also happen to include a large portion of the new and highly engaged F1 fan base. Nearly 45 per cent of F1 fans are under 35 years old, according to its 2025 half-year report, released Aug 28.
Then there’s the power of women. Some 42 per cent of global F1 fans are now female, compared with 37 per cent in 2018, with a growth of 43 million female fans year over year, according to F1. Meanwhile, 70 per cent of French Bloom customers are women. “It’s a perfect alignment,” says Frerejean-Taittinger.
Last year, Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0 per cent signed with Scuderia Ferrari, leaning heavily into its presence at the Miami Grand Prix and highlighting F1 as a key part of its marketing strategy. Heineken’s 0.0 brand has become a key focus in recent years of Heineken’s global partnership with F1 that began in 2016, spurring campaigns like “When You Drive, Never Drink” with the driver Max Verstappen. In 2023, Heineken signed a five-year extension of its initial contract, a deal worth an estimated US$250 million.
Despite its prominence now, the no-booze alignment was present in motorsport in earlier years to a lesser degree. Spain’s Estrella Galicia first became the official beer partner of the McLaren F1 team in 2019 and rejoined it last year; it’s also the official non-alcoholic beer of the Ducati Lenovo Team in MotoGP. And Clausthaler Non-Alcoholic Premium Beer was working with Andretti Autosport in IndyCar back in 2021, when drivers Alexander Rossi and Marco Andretti carried its branding in races like the Indianapolis 500. BLOOMBERG
Dining and Cooking