The Meaning Behind Beyoncé’s SirDavis Whisky Is Deep

The beverage Beyoncé is most closely associated with may be lemonade, but Queen Bey is now serving up something different: whisky. After successfully launching her perfume, Cé Noir, and hair care line, Cécred, Beyoncé is “Drunk in Love” and stepping into the liquor industry with her own whisky brand, and there’s a deep meaning behind it.

On Tuesday, Aug. 20, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter announced she had teamed up with liquor brand Moët Hennessy to launch her own American whisky, called SirDavis. SirDavis is made using traditional techniques to arrive at “an elegant mouthfeel and texture reminiscent of Japanese and Scotch whiskies, while retaining the robust and deep flavors typical of classic American rye,” summoning “layers of dark red fruits and spices, like clove and cinnamon,” according to the brand.

And in true Beyoncé fashion, the whisky brand has already been showered with awards. It received Best In Class for American Whiskey from the 2023 SIP Awards, where it was submitted anonymously before its launch. It also received a Gold Medal in the 2023 New York International Spirits Competition.

But SirDavis has more meaning behind it than the taste and awards. In the chorus of Cowboy Carter’s “Ameriican Requiem,” Beyoncé sings she is the “grandbaby of a moonshine man.” The whisky 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. According to the brand’s press release, he stashed whisky bottles in the empty knots of cedar trees for friends and family to find and enjoy. 

“When I discovered that my great-grandfather had been a moonshine man, it felt like my love for whisky was fated,” Beyoncé said in the release. “SirDavis is a way for me to pay homage to him, uniting us through a new shared legacy.

SirDavis’ design also pays homage to Texas, Queen Bey’s hometown. The bottle’s striking and clean design features a stunning ribbed glass and a black medallion with a regal bronzed horse, emblematic of strength and respect, and symbolizing Beyoncé’s Texas roots. Even the whisky’s production location pays homage to Beyoncé’s southern roots. SirDavis is finished, blended, and bottled in Texas, making it Moët Hennessy’s first spirits brand developed entirely internally by Moët Hennessy in the United States.

Beyoncé has hinted multiple times at her love of whisky, especially on her latest album, Cowboy Carter. On “Texas Hold ‘Em” she sings, “Rugged whiskey, cause we survivin.’” In “II Hands II Heaven,” it’s, “Bottle in my hand, the whiskey up high.” And on “Bodyguard,” Bey sings, “Inhalin’ whiskey when you kiss my neck.” 

And if you thought that her lyrics were the only hints at her new business venture, then you might want to dive deeper. In April, Beyoncé shared an Instagram post of herself and Jay-Z at a Japanese whisky tasting. The video featured bottles of prestigious Japanese single-malt brands, including Yamazaki and Hakushu 18, as well as one labeled “Mystery” in the lineup.

SirDavis, which will retail for $89, is available for preorder and will hit retailers nationwide starting on Beyoncé’s birthday, Sept. 4. The whisky will be available across the U.S. and at selected stores in London, Paris, and Tokyo.