Beyoncé enters the liquor business with the launch of her own whiskey brand, SirDavis. In partnership with Moët Hennessy, Cowboy Carter made the announcement on Tuesday via Instagram.
“Davis in my bones,” she captioned the post.
her first venture into the world of whiskey, and she’s making it personal. The name “SirDavis” honors her great-grandfather, Davis Hogue, a Southern farmer and moonshiner during Prohibition. Known for hiding whiskey bottles in cedar trees for his loved ones to find, Hogue’s legacy lives on through this new brand.
Based in Beyoncé’s hometown of Houston, Texas, SirDavis Whisky is set to hit select retailers in the U.S., Tokyo, Paris, and London this September, with pre-sale orders available online starting today. The whiskey will retail for $89 a bottle. Beyoncé, who has a fondness for Japanese whiskey, was deeply involved in every step of creating SirDavis.
She approached LVMH, the parent company of Moët Hennessy, with the idea just before the pandemic. The French luxury conglomerate, which had previously partnered with her husband Jay-Z, brought in Dr. Bill Lumsden, a renowned figure in the whiskey world, to lead the project.
Dr. Lumsden, often called the “mad scientist of Scotch whisky,” crafted SirDavis with an unusual mash bill of 51% rye and 49% malted barley. This blend gives the whiskey a unique profile, combining the spicy notes of American rye with the richness of malted barley more commonly found in Scotch and Japanese whiskies. The whiskey undergoes a two-step aging process, first in American oak barrels and then in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, resulting in a smoother, more nuanced flavor that lingers on the palate.
Beyoncé’s involvement didn’t stop at the blend. She also had a hand in designing the packaging, choosing a tall, ribbed bottle that resembles a vintage perfume bottle, complete with a bronze horse atop a black medallion—a nod to her Texas roots. There’s even talk of a visitors’ center in Houston, further connecting the brand to her home state.
SirDavis has already made a splash in the spirits world, winning several awards before its official release. It has taken home Platinum and Best in Class for American Whiskey from the 2023 SIP Awards, a Gold Medal from the 2023 New York International Spirits Competition, and a 93-point rating from the 2023 Ultimate Spirits Challenge.
For Beyoncé, SirDavis is more than just a business venture; it’s a way to honor her family’s history and share a piece of that legacy with the world. As Dr. Lumsden put it, “The product had to be very, very special if it’s carrying an association with Beyoncé.” And by all accounts, it seems like they’ve achieved just that.