Pop icon Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has partnered with LVMH subsidiary Moët Hennessy to launch SirDavis, a new American whisky crafted by master distiller Bill Lumsden, Bloomberg reports.
A bottle whisky per $89 each consists of 51% rye and 49% malted barley, created by Lumsden, known for his work at Scotland’s Glenmorangie and Ardbeg.
The whisky’s name was inspired by Beyoncé’s paternal great-grandfather, Davis Hogue, a farmer who made moonshine during Prohibition in the American South. Knowles-Carter says that when she learned how Hogue stashed away whisky bottles in empty knots of cedar trees for his family and friends to find, it made the the idea of her launching a whisky brand feel “predestined.” A lyric from the song “Bodyguard” on Cowboy Carter is, “Wheels in the gravel, Davis in my bones.”
In a nod to Knowles-Carter’s Houston roots, SirDavis will be finished, blended and bottled in Texas. The glass bottle—with its horse medallion—also recalls the Lone Star State. The whisky will be available in September in the US, as well as in London, Paris, and Tokyo.
Knowles-Carter’s husband, Jay-Z, also has an alcohol brand owned by LVMH. In 2021, Moët Hennessy bought a 50% stake in Armand de Brignac, a Champagne producer owned by the hip-hop star and businessman.
It’s not Beyoncé’s first team-up with the world’s biggest luxury company. She starred in ad campaigns for Tiffany, and last month she introduced team USA during the Paris Olympics, of which LVMH was the premium sponsor.
Luxury giant sales growth slowed in the last quarter, as wealthy constumers curtailed their spending on high-end items such as handbags and champagne. This trend has contributed to a decline in the company’s shares, which are down over 11% in the past year, according to the report.
