Moët Hennessy partners with Beyoncé Knowles-Carter to launch SirDavis American whiskey
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter presents SirDavis, her new American whiskey developed in partnership with Moët Hennessy
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has joined forces with Moët Hennessy, a subsidiary of LVMH, to create SirDavis, a groundbreaking new American whiskey. The first-of-its-kind joint venture reflects a shared vision between Knowles-Carter and Moët Hennessy around the future of American whiskey.
The 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 flavor profile that reflected her ideal whiskey. Moët Hennessy had been exploring ways to deepen its presence in the American whiskey market, making the timing kismet for a partnership between the world-leading luxury group and Knowles-Carter.
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, SirDavis Founder, said, “I’ve always been drawn to the power and confidence I feel when drinking quality whiskey and wanted to invite more people to experience that feeling. 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 whiskey that respects tradition but also empowers people to experience something new and unique in the category.”
SirDavis American whiskey: "A new shared legacy"
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 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 whiskey brand feel predestined. Four generations later, the legacy comes to life.
“SirDavis is not only a revelatory and exceptional American whiskey, 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.
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 the whiskey 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. He 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,” Lumsden said. “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 the vessel an unmistakable beacon of luxury. The SirDavis bottle is striking and clean, with ribbed glass that 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 whiskey 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 USA, with SirDavis headquartered out of Houston, Texas. The whiskey retails at US$89 and is available for pre-order via SirDavis.com. Product will be available at retail across the USA as well as in select airports (LAX/JFK/SFO) and stores in London, Paris, and Tokyo in September 2024.
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