Beyoncé to release rye whiskey with Glenmorangie guru Dr Bill named in honour of star's great-grandfather

Global superstar Beyoncé is set to be the latest celebrity to launch their own alcohol brand as she prepares to launch a rye whiskey.

The singer teased the release of her SirDavis whiskey on her media site with a picture of a folder named SirDavis next to a picture of a textured bottle with a horse logo on the front.

The rye whiskey, which is a whiskey distilled with at least 51% rye grains, has been ‘finished, blended and bottled’ in Texas - Beyoncé is from Houston, Texas. It’s being made by Houston’s Buffalo Bayou Distilleries.

This unique product was years in the making after Knowles-Carter, a Japanese whisky enthusiast, sought out Moët Hennessy to help craft a one-of-a-kind flavour profile that reflected her whisky ideal. Meanwhile, Moët Hennessy had been exploring ways to deepen its presence in the American whisky market, making the timing ideal for a partnership between the luxury group and Knowles-Carter.

Of her whiskey, Beyoncé said: “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. 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 in honour of Davis Hogue, Knowles-Carter’s paternal great-grandfather, who was a farmer and a moonshiner in the American South during Prohibition. He stashed whisky bottles in the empty knots of cedar trees for friends and kin to find and enjoy. For Knowles-Carter, it was this discovery that made the idea of creating a whisky brand feel predestined. Four generations later, the legacy comes to life - rather than hidden in the trees, bottles of SirDavis will proudly grace the top shelves of fine purveyors of spirits around the world.

“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.

SIRDAVIS whiskey is a rye whiskey | Julian Dakdouk

Moët Hennessy tapped Dr. Bill Lumsden, one of the world’s most awarded and highly regarded Master Distillers for his work on Scotch whisky brands Glenmorangie and Ardbeg, to lead on whisky creation. Lumsden selected the brand’s bespoke mash bill — one of the rarest new offerings in the world of American whisky composed of 51% rye and 49% malted barley — to serve as the backbone of the liquid. Lumsden then combined traditional whisky-making techniques to impart an elegant mouthfeel and texture reminiscent of Japanese and Scotch whiskies, while retaining the robust and deep flavours typical of classic American rye.

“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.”

Moët Hennessy and Knowles-Carter’s shared commitment to excellence was key to the partnership and the product. To validate SirDavis’s quality, the liquid was anonymously submitted to numerous prestigious spirits competitions prior to launch. SirDavis won Best In Class for American Whiskey from the 2023 SIP

Awards, outperforming over 100 other entries in the category. Awarded to only one brand per category, this award is reserved for premium spirits receiving scores in the pinnacle of their respective categories and is SIP’s highest acclaim from consumer judges. Other notable scores include a Gold Medal (95 points) from the 2023 New York International Spirits Competition and a 93-point rating from the 2023 Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

Knowles-Carter also lent her visionary artistic direction to the brand’s bottle design - a tall, eye-catching bottle with intentional design elements that make it a stand out.

The SirDavis bottle is striking and clean, with ribbed glass that beautifully catches light and highlights the liquid. It also features a black medallion with a regal bronzed horse, emblematic of strength and respect and symbolizing Knowles-Carter’s Texas roots.

Beyoncé has worked with Moet Hennessy on SIRDAVIS whiskey | Mason Poole and Julian Dakdouk

In another nod to Knowles-Carter’s Southern heritage, the whisky is finished, blended and bottled in her home state of Texas. Unlike other acquired brands, SirDavis also makes history as Moët Hennessy’s first spirits brand developed entirely internally by Moët Hennessy in the United States. SirDavis is headquartered out of Houston, Texas.

SirDavis retails for £79 and is available for pre-order via SirDavis.com. Product will be available at retail across the U.K as well as in select airports (LAX/JFK/SFO) and stores across the U.S, Paris, and Tokyo in September 2024.

In a picture posted on social media, showing the whiskey bottle, cocktails and drams, there’s information on the whiskey tasting notes.

These read: “Tangy Seville oranges, sun-kissed raisins, while the sizzling spices of clove, cinnamon, ginger notes of Demerara sugar and toffee.”

Back in April, Beyoncé and Jay-Z were snapped tasting rare Yamazaki Japanese whisky.

While there are many celebrities who have released whiskies in recent years, very few are women. Melissa McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone partnered with whiskey Big Nose Kate in 2022 but mostly, the celebrity whisky (and whiskey) space is very male dominated. 

Other celebrity whisky and whiskey brands include: Kiefer Sutherland and Red Bank whisky; Matthew McConaughey and Wild Turkey Longbranch, Rod Stewart and Wolfie’s and Sam Heughan and The Sassenach.