Beyoncé Unveils SirDavis Whisky Brand In Honor Of Her Great-Grandfather
Written by djfrosty on August 21, 2024
Source: Julian Dakdouk / other
Beyoncé has moved the needle for the culture in several ways beyond music, leaving her indelible mark on fashion, footwear, hair care, and beyond. The Houston superstar’s latest venture is SirDavis, a whisky named after her great-grandfather and adds to her deep commitment to honoring her family’s influence and legacy.
Via a collaboration with Moët Hennessy, a subsidiary of LVMH, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter brings SirDavis to the forefront. According to a recent press release, the creation of SirDavis took years of development. The Cowboy Cater artist is said to be a fan of Japanese whisky and worked with Moët Hennessy intending to broaden the reach of the spirit within the American market. In a statement, the award-winning entertainer explained the inspiration behind the impending bra.d
“I’ve always been drawn to the power and confidence I feel when drinking quality whisky and wanted to invite more people to experience that feeling,” says SirDavis Founder Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. “When I discovered that my great-grandfather had been a moonshine man, it felt like my love for whisky was fated. SirDavis is a way for me to pay homage to him, uniting us through a new shared legacy. In partnering with Moët Hennessy, we have crafted a delicious American whisky that respects tradition but also empowers people to experience something new and unique in the category. You can taste it better than I could ever tell you — welcome, SirDavis.”
SirDavis is named after Davis Hogue, Beyoncé’s great-grandfather who worked as a farmer and also made moonshine during the restrictive Prohibition period. According to family lore, Hogue would make batches of whisky and stash it inside trees for his family and friends to sip. And now, Hogue’s great-granddaughter will carry on tradition along with her vision of refinement and collaboration with Moët Hennessy.
“SirDavis is not only a revelatory and exceptional American Whisky, which we are very proud of. It is also a testament of the unwavering dedication to craftsmanship, heritage and innovation shared by LVMH and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter,” said Bernard Arnault, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of LVMH.
Moët Hennessy tapped the services of Dr. Bill Lumsden, an avowed Master Distiller who has worked on fine Scotch whisky brands such as Glenmorangie and Ardbeg, names that should be familiar to readers of the Spirit.Ed column. Dr. Lumsden’s years of expertise in the whisky world were applied to creating SirDavis. Under his guidance, the team landed on a mash bill that puts the spice of rye at the forefront at 51 percent, the remaining 49 percent comprised of malted barley. After perfecting the balance of the distillate, the juice is then finished in sherry casks.
“With SirDavis, we looked to challenge the category norms and offer something new in the space,” said Lumsden. “The distinctive grain selection and unusual secondary maturation in sherry casks helped us achieve a signature profile completely unique to SirDavis, one of bold sophistication.”
Before going to market, SirDavis was anonymously submitted to several spirit competitions featuring some of the world’s top judges in the adult beverages space. In 2023, SirDavis won Best In Class for American Whiskey from the 2023 SIP Awards. In addition, SirDavis earned a Gold Medal designation from the 2023 New York International Spirits Competition and a 93-point rating from the 2023 Ultimate Spirits Challenge.
The design of the bottle was created with input from Beyoncé, and the whisky is a true homegrown product that is finished, blended, and bottled in Texas. SirDavis also owns the historic mark of being Moët Hennessy’s first spirits brand developed entirely internally by the company in the United States and has its headquarters in Houston.
While SirDavis has yet to launch nationally, interested parties can preorder SirDavis via its website. It will also become available at various retail locations across the United States, London, Paris, and Tokyo beginning in September. The airports LAX, JFK, and SFO will also sell the bottle.
To learn more, click here. View the bottle here as well.
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Photo: Julian Dakdouk/Moët Hennessy