Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has teamed up with Moët Hennessy, a subsidiary of LVMH, to create SirDavis, a groundbreaking new whisky. This first-of-its-kind joint venture reflects a shared vision between Knowles-Carter and Moët Hennessy, two leaders in culture and craftsmanship, regarding the future of American whisky. The unique product was years in the making, with Knowles-Carter, a Japanese whisky enthusiast, seeking out Moët Hennessy to craft a one-of-a-kind flavor profile that reflected her whisky ideal. Moët Hennessy, meanwhile, had been exploring ways to deepen its presence in the American whisky market, making the timing perfect for this partnership.
“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 in honor of Davis Hogue, Knowles-Carter’s paternal great-grandfather, who was a farmer and a moonshiner in the American South during Prohibition. He hid whisky bottles in the empty knots of cedar trees for friends and kin to find and enjoy. For Knowles-Carter, discovering this history made the idea of creating a whisky brand feel predestined. Four generations later, the legacy comes to life, with bottles of SirDavis now gracing the top shelves of fine spirits purveyors worldwide.
“SirDavis is not only a revelatory and exceptional American whisky, which we are very proud of. It is also a testament to 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.
To lead the whisky creation, Moët Hennessy tapped Dr. Bill Lumsden, one of the world’s most awarded and highly regarded Master Distillers, known for his work on Scotch whisky brands Glenmorangie and Ardbeg. 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 flavors 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 Whisky from the 2023 SIP Awards, outperforming over 100 other entries in the 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 the vessel an unmistakable beacon of luxury. 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.
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 $89 and is available for pre-order via the official SirDavis website. The product will be available at retail across the U.S. as well as in select airports (LAX/JFK/SFO) and stores in London, Paris, and Tokyo in September 2024.
ABOUT SIRDAVIS AMERICAN WHISKY
SirDavis reflects a shared vision between Moët Hennessy and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter regarding the future of American whisky. With a distinctive taste profile that delights both seasoned whisky connoisseurs and new enthusiasts, SirDavis is on a mission to redefine the category and invite new consumers to feel welcome in the world of luxury whisky.
Crafted with Moët Hennessy’s own five-time International Whisky Competition Master Distiller of the Year Dr. Bill Lumsden, SirDavis offers a one-of-a-kind taste profile that redefines the taste of American whisky with inspiration from Japanese and Scottish styles. In an evolution from category norms, the SirDavis mash bill includes 51% rye and a noteworthy 49% barley. The spirit’s secondary maturation in sherry casks resulted in its silky, sophisticated profile with layers of dark red fruits and spices like clove and cinnamon. This duality of rounding out rye’s characteristically spicy notes with structured flavors of juicy red fruit offers an entirely new interpretation of this spirit, suitable for connoisseurs and newcomers alike. The award-winning liquid received Platinum and was named Best In Class by the 2023 SIP Awards, 95 points and Gold from the 2023 New York International Spirits Competition, and 93 points from the 2023 Ultimate Spirits Challenge. SirDavis is finished, blended, and bottled in Knowles-Carter’s home state of Texas.