The world of celebrity spirits just got a little bigger. And the name doesn’t get much bigger than Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.
On Tuesday, it was announced that Beyoncé — she of 32 Grammy wins, the most of any musician in history — has founded SirDavis Whisky in partnership with LVMH-owned Moët Hennessy. The brand’s inaugural release is an American rye finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks.
We got an early taste of the whisky and already published a full, in-depth review of SirDavis. (Spoiler: We liked it!)
It’s the first time Beyoncé has officially dipped into the spirits world, though the superstar has long been known for a love of Japanese whisky, according to the brand.
SirDavis is named for Knowles-Carter’s paternal great-grandfather Davis Hogue, a farmer and Prohibition-era moonshiner. During that time, Davis Hogue hid bottles in the crevices of cedar trees to avoid detection.
“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,” Knowles-Carter said in a press release. “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.”
This is the first spirits brand developed entirely in the United States by Moët Hennessy, and was built with Dr. Bill Lumsden overseeing liquid development. Lumsden is perhaps best known for his work with Moët Hennessy portfolio companies Glenmorangie and Ardbeg.
For the first SirDavis expression, Lumsden, Knowles-Carter, and the team settled on an Indiana-distilled mash bill of 51 percent rye and 49 percent malted barley. After an undisclosed period of aging (brand reps confirm it’s well over the minimum 2 year threshold for straight rye), the liquid was transferred to Knowles-Carter’s home state of Texas, where it underwent additional aging in sherry casks.
Blending and bottling both take place in Texas, and the final product is available at 44 percent ABV. Bottles carry a suggested retail price of $89, and are available online and in several major U.S. markets, as well as select retail in London, Paris, and Tokyo.
The article Beyoncé and Moët Hennessy Launch SirDavis Rye Whisky appeared first on VinePair.