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Cheers to Beyoncé! SirDavis American Rye Whisky became available online and in select stores on Wednesday (Sept. 4), coinciding with Queen Bey’s 43rd birthday.

The release marks a new chapter for the multi-platinum selling singer who in the last two years, gave us Renaissance and Cowboy Carter, embarked on a world tour with merch to match, debuted the Renaissance tour film and introduced the world to Cécred — all before revealing her latest venture.

In classic Beyoncé form, the announcement of SirDavis Whisky surprised most fans, but the Houston native may have dropped an Easter egg on the Cowboy Carter track “II Hands to Heaven” where she sings: “Bottle in my hand, the whiskey up high.”

To celebrate Queen Bey’s birthday, I secured an advance tasting of SirDavis Whisky and whipped up four of the signature cocktails (yes, they’re easy to make and cute to look at).

Keep reading for details on SirDavis and a step-by-step cocktail hour, Beyoncé-style.

The Hidden History of SirDavis Whisky: An Ode to Black Distillers

The story of SirDavis Whisky begins with Beyoncé’s paternal great-grandfather, Davis Hogue. According to online records, Hogue was born in Alabama around 1871. Online records show that Hogue was married with approximately six children, one of whom was Beyoncé’s paternal grandmother, Lou Helen Knowles. U.S. Census records indicate that Hodge was a farmer, but he was also a moonshiner, as Beyoncé revealed last month.

“When I discovered that my great-grandfather had been a moonshine man, it felt like my love for whisky was fated,” she explained. “SirDavis is a way for me to pay homage to him, uniting us through a new shared legacy.”

Though whisky has its American roots in Tennessee, it has a long and complicated history with Alabama. The state outlawed alcohol in the early 1900s, nearly a decade before federal prohibition laws went into place. For a century, whisky was illegal in Alabama making it even harder for Black distillers like Beyoncé’s grandfather to make it without risking arrest.

It took 100 years, but Alabama’s first legally distilled whisky was finally released in 2015. SirDavis Whisky however is headquartered in Beyoncé’s hometown of Houston highlighting both her family’s Alabama and Texas ancestry in one bottle.

Housed in a beautiful, ribbed glass bottle, SirDavis offers a nod to Texas in the form of a golden horse centered on the front. The recipe blends a “distinctive grain selection of 51 percent rye and a 49 percent malted barley” matured in sherry casks similar to the way Japanese and Scotch whiskies are made.

Although I’m far from a connoisseur, I’ve attended my share of tastings and can appreciate a nice, smooth rye whisky. Per the product description, SirDavis offers a “rich and buttery toffee flavor” which I can attest to, along with hints of honey, cinnamon and clove, a subtle but lingering taste of cherries with a dash of spice that dances on the palette.

See below for directions on how to make SirDavis cocktails.

A Step-by-Step Guide to SirDavis Cocktails

Based on the packaging alone, SirDavis was made to stand out. The 88-proof whisky from Beyoncé and Moët Hennessy, mingles well with fruity cocktails, pairs perfectly with lemon and it’s smooth enough to enjoy by itself (I would recommend sipping slowly though, SirDavis packs a punch).

Following along with the recipes on the brand’s website, I made four cocktails including the Honey Bee, Hot Toddy, Mint Julep and The Houston.

To complete the vintage vibe of the bottle, I used these ribbed cocktail glasses and glass coffee mugs from Amazon and a couple of cocktail glasses from my own collection. The cocktail ingredients are available at just about any grocery store, but I purchased everything on Amazon Fresh including vermouth, blackberries, honey, lemon juice, cocktail sticks and garnish. The Hot Toddy needs just a handful of ingredients: SirDavis Whisky, hot water, lemon juice, honey and Angostura aromatic bitters.

The Houston is made with two ounces of whisky, an ounce of sweet vermouth, a quarter ounce of honey syrup and two dashes of Angostura bitters. The Mint Julep mixes pressed blackberries, fresh mint leaves and honey syrup with lots of crushed ice.

My favorite of the four? The Honey Bee takes gets a gold medal from me, but not because it’s one of the easiest drinks to make with the least ingredients. The acidity of the lemon perfectly balances the whisky without overpowering the cocktail.

Ingredients:

2 oz. SirDavis American Whisky  

.75 oz. Lemon Juice

.5 oz. Honey Syrup

Garnish: Honeycomb 

Honey syrup is a main ingredient in several SirDavis cocktails, and it’s easy to make: add two parts honey and one part water into a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the honey is dissolved and let it cool before transferring it into an airtight container.

To make your Honey Bee, add the liquid ingredients to a tin cocktail shaker (add ice last). Shake and pour into a glass and garnish with honeycomb (or lemon wedge as I did).

Keep reading for details on retail locations that carry SirDavis Whisky.

Where to Buy SirDavis Whisky Online & In Stores

SirDavis Whisky is officially available at retail locations such as ReserveBar, Total Wine & More, Caskers, GoPuff, BevMo!, Spec’s, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits.

The brand is available in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, Tennessee, Texas, Washington D.C. and in select retail locations in London, Paris and Tokyo. Additional markets will be added in the coming months.

Jet-setting soon? You can find SirDavis at DFS duty-free shops in select airports including John F. Kennedy International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport. Travelers can also enjoy specialty SirDavis tastings at DFS stores located inside JFK and LAX.