A conversation with Pimentae founders, Wynter & Alice.

Please tell us what Pimentae does in one sentence.

Pimentae creates premium, tequila-based ready-to-drink cocktails that deliver bar-quality flavour and unforgettable experiences, straight from the bottle, can or keg.

What inspired you to start Pimentae?

After travelling around Mexico together during university, we fell in love with tequila - not as a party shot, but as a complex, sophisticated spirit meant to be sipped and savoured. Back in the UK, we saw a major disconnect: most people associated tequila with bad hangovers and even worse memories, without realising it’s actually the cleanest spirit you can drink. We set out to change that.

Pimentae was born to tell tequila’s real story through striking design, exceptional flavour, and a lifestyle-led approach that captures the energy of modern agave culture - already booming in the US and fast catching on in the UK. Unlike generalist RTD brands, we’re tequila specialists through and through, focused on being famous for one thing - tequila cocktails!

What problems is Pimentae solving within the ready-to-drink sector?

Pimentae is reshaping consumer perceptions of how, and where, tequila can be enjoyed. Traditionally, bar-quality cocktails were confined to hospitality venues, but we’re opening up new occasions and formats for premium tequila experiences - from planes and trains to grocery shelves, festivals, and home entertaining.

We're also challenging an alcohol industry that’s long been male-dominated and saturated with soulless, corporate brands. As a female-founded and run business, we lead with storytelling and immersive, experience-led activations - from our signature Tulum-esque DJ and saxophone takeovers to creating spaces where our community can truly connect.

Pimentae is more than just a cocktail on a shelf - we’re a lifestyle brand built to spark joy, connection, and that intangible feeling of being part of something special.

How is Pimentae thinking about environmental and social responsibility?

We're committed to building a brand that’s not only premium and experience-led but also deeply responsible. From 100% plastic-free, fully recyclable packaging to locally-made, all-natural vegan products, sustainability is woven into everything we do. We use micro-fulfilment centres to reduce our carbon footprint, only using electric vehicles and design our bottles to be upcycled - encouraging reuse through creative storytelling. We’re also proud to donate 1% of monthly revenue to S.A.C.R.E.D., supporting rural Mexican communities where heritage agave spirits originate. With a goal to become B-Corp certified by 2025, we’re actively thinking about ways to drive even greater change.

What is your big vision?

Our vision is to become the UK’s leading tequila cocktail brand, known not just for our award-winning liquid, but for creating a lifestyle around modern agave drinking culture. We want Pimentae to be synonymous with moments worth celebrating - at home, in bars, on planes, on trains and at festivals! For us, it’s always been about creating an immersive brand world around our cocktails, rather than just being another cocktail on a shelf. With plans to expand into the EU this summer, we’re very excited to grow our footprint beyond that of the UK.

What has been your greatest achievement since starting Pimentae?

From day one, we set ourselves a clear North Star: to land a national listing with Waitrose. Every decision we made was shaped by that goal, knowing it would give us the credibility and premium stamp of approval needed to scale. Securing that listing was a huge milestone, but what’s been even more rewarding is how the partnership has evolved - from national distribution to taking over the entire Waitrose Kings Cross bar and hosting brand take overs at their Christmas parties.

It’s been powerful proof of concept and a signal that the UK is ready for a new era of tequila. We’re already outperforming several global brands on shelf at Waitrose, proving that our experience-led approach, paired with an obsession for liquid quality, is a powerful formula for success in national retail across the UK.

What has been the biggest challenge since starting Pimentae?

One of our biggest challenges has been streamlining operations in a highly regulated and complex category. Tequila is a protected spirit with strict compliance requirements, and producing multiple formats - from 20L kegs to 125ml cans and 5L bag-in-box – added a whole new layer of complexity. As one of the first RTD brands to offer such a multi-format, cocktail-led approach, finding the right manufacturing partners who could support both quality and scale was no easy feat.

Balancing rapid growth, evolving consumer demand, and preparing for international expansion, especially into the EU, has been a constant learning curve. But thanks to an incredible team and support network, we've not only overcome those hurdles, we've built an operational foundation that’s ready to scale with us.

How will this new funding help Pimentae to grow?

This new round of funding will play a crucial role in fuelling our next phase of growth. It will enable us to expand our team from 7 to 10 by the end of the year, giving us the resource to keep pace with the incredible opportunities coming our way. A major focus is scaling beyond the UK, with targeted investment into identifying the right partners & channels to support our EU expansion and showcase the brand’s global potential. We also have exciting NPD in the pipeline to continue elevating the Margarita experience for our community.

As we grow, increasing our visibility is key- this funding will allow us to ramp up our marketing activity across digital, out-of-home, and festivals, while also revamping some of our most exciting activation assets to keep building the immersive world of Pimentae.

How have you found working with FIGR so far?

Working with FIGR has been everything we hoped for in an investor relationship - transparent, open, honest, and genuinely seamless. From day one, it’s felt like a true partnership built on mutual trust, regular communication, and a shared ambition to grow something great together. As a startup, it’s so important to have investors who not only believe in your vision but also align with how you work - and we truly couldn’t have found a better fit. FIGR feels like an extension of our team, and we’re excited for everything we’ll build together.