Beyoncé launches whisky after collaborating with a leading Scotch expert

Pop sensation Beyoncé has launched her own whisky, after collaborating with a leading Scotch expert.

The star worked with Moët Hennessy, a subsidiary of LVMH, to create SirDavis, named after her great-grandfather Davis Hogue.

Hogue 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. 

It was after discovering the story, Beyoncé decided to create the whisky brand. 

The dram was created with the expertise of Moet Hennessy’s Scottish five-time International Whisky Competition Master Distiller of the Year Dr Bill Lumsden.

The whisky pioneer is renowned for his work on Scotch whisky brands Glenmorangie and Ardbeg.

‘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,’ Beyoncé said.

‘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.’

She is the latest A-lister to create her own whisky, following in the footsteps of musician Sir Rod Stewart, Outlander star Sam Heughan with The Sassenach and Kiefer Sutherland.

Credit: Julian Dakdouk

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 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 is the wine and spirits division of LVMH, the brand that includes Ardbeg and Glenmorangie.

The whisky has already won prestigious awards after it was anonymously submitted to spirits competitions, including Best In Class for American Whiskey from the 2023 SIP Awards and a Gold Medal from the 2023 New York International Spirits Competition.

It will retail for £79.

Read more Whisky news here.

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