With SirDavis, Beyoncé Puts Her Own Whiskey On Top

No matter where you are in the world, chances are you know the name Beyoncé. The chart-topping singer-songwriter has stayed at the forefront of pop culture for decades, transcending the boundaries of musical genres and becoming one of the most-awarded female artists of all time in the process. Her mammoth music catalog aside, she’s also a shrewd businesswoman, with hands in many different jars, including fashion (Ivy Park), fragrance (Cé Noir), and haircare (Cécred). Now, you can add whiskey to that list, with the debut of her new label SirDavis.

Beyonce’s love of whisky (especially Japanese) is no secret, and she frequently slips mentions of it into her lyrics. Her most recent album, country-Americana hybrid “Cowboy Carter,” features the word “whisky” on multiple tracks, and on earlier albums, songs like “6 Inch” and “LOVEHAPPY” namedrop Yamazaki, a known Bey favorite. When she was moved to create a whisky brand of her own, she approached LVMH subsidiary Moët Hennessy (which had previously partnered with her husband, rapper Jay-Z, on his Armand de Brignac Champagne) in the hopes of creating a new Japanese whisky; three years of countless tastings and tests later and she’s landed on an American rye, with the help of whisky whizz Dr. Bill Lumsden (the brains behind Ardbeg and Glenmorangie).

Dr. Bill and Bey began their partnership by trying all types of whisky—Japanese came first, then single malt scotch, then a mix of styles, but none of them were connecting. That’s when they decided to embark on an exploration of American styles, ultimately landing on an MGP-sourced rye whiskey made from a mashbill of 51% rye and 49% malted barley that's much closer to the gentler Maryland-style rye than the more far-flung, heavier-hitting MGP rye of 95% rye and 5% malted barley.

While SirDavis's age isn’t disclosed, Dr. Bill says the whiskey is significantly older than the minimum 2 years required by law. The mashbill imbues the rye with softer flavors than its spicier 95/5 counterparts, but it’s made more lush by a secondary maturation in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, finishing in them for 6 to 9 months. Notes of raisin, orange peel, cinnamon spice, clove, and candied nuts abound, carried along by a silky smooth mouthfeel that will likely appeal to both whisky lovers and non-whisky drinkers (of which there may be many, given the size of Beyonce’s BeyHive fanbase) alike.

The whiskey gets its name from Davis Hogue, Beyonce’s paternal great-grandfather. Hogue grew up in the South and worked both as a farmer and a moonshiner, stashing whiskey bottles for friends and family in the empty knots of cedar trees during Prohibition. SirDavis's eventual home will be in Houston, Texas (Beyonce’s hometown), with both a visitor center and production center already in the works, though Dr. Bill says it'll remain an MGP-sourced brand.

This is by no means a limited expression—there should be plenty SirDavis to go around when it officially launches in early September. Ahead of that, the bottle is available for pre-order on sirdavis.com for $89. Once on shelves, it’ll be available nationwide, as well as at LAX, JFK, and SFO airports and internationally at airports in London, Paris, and Tokyo.