All You Need to Know About Beyoncé’s Rye Whiskey, SIRDAVIS

On Monday, Beyoncé fans noticed an addition to the artist’s media website: a folder titled “SIRDAVIS,” which showed a bottle of dark liquor with a horse emblem displayed on the front. With the help of publicly available information accessed via the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), we were able to uncover a few details about the release.

According to TTB filings, SIRDAVIS is a rye whiskey. This type of whiskey is distilled from a mashbill containing at least 51% rye grains. The label was filed with the TTB by Gulf Coast Distillers in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé’s hometown. An image shared by a Beyoncé fan account on X, B7album, showed a bottle of SIRDAVIS seemingly at a tasting. A fact sheet is partially visible in the image, but details are scant.

The mashbill of SIRDAVIS includes malted barley, which is typical. It also appears that SIRDAVIS was finished in a secondary cask. Information listed under a heading on the sheet, ending in “ion,” suggests the word “maturation,” referring to the types of barrels in which the whiskey was aged. We can discern two lines under this heading: the first is oak, presumably new oak. The second line, however, remains a mystery. A reference to “Casks” is visible, but the specifics are unclear. There’s also mention of the whiskey’s “finishing” process, which we’ll get to shortly.

The fact sheet also provides a glimpse into the whiskey’s aroma. The tasting notes describe the nose as: “Tangy Seville oranges mingle with [illegible] sun-kissed raisins, while the sizzling spices of clove, cinnamon, and ginger play with [illegible] notes of Demerara sugar and toffee.”

The trademark for “SIRDAVIS” is owned by Moët Hennessy SAS, which applied for it on June 24, 2022. Moët Hennessy is known for high-profile alcohol brands like Hennessy, Moët Champagne, Veuve Cliquot, Ardbeg, Belvedere, Chandon, Dom Pérignon, and Glenmorangie. In 2021, Moët Hennessy purchased a 50% stake in Armand de Brignac, the Champagne brand owned by Jay-Z, Beyoncé’s husband. Additionally, this spring, SIRDAVIS LLC filed trademarks for illustrations reading “THE FUTURE OF WHISKY IS HERE” and “CALL ME SIR.” These filings were for use not just in alcohol but also in clothing, footwear, and headwear.

The most recent filing for SIRDAVIS was by Gulf Coast Distillers, a DBA for Houston’s Buffalo Bayou Distilleries. Initially, the first filing came from a different Texas distillery. In November 2023, Austin’s Still Austin distillery received label approval for a “SIR DAVIS” rye whiskey. Nine days later, the TTB granted approval for a “SIRDAVIS” rye whiskey label. This indicates that Beyoncé may have initially planned to bottle her rye with Still Austin but later shifted to Gulf Coast Distillers. The reason for the change is unclear. One might speculate that releasing a whiskey from the star’s hometown holds some appeal. However, Still Austin is a critically acclaimed distillery.

The fact sheet notes that the whiskey was “finished, blended & bottled in Texas,” but conspicuously does not mention where it was distilled or produced. If it was distilled in Texas, it’s likely they would highlight that fact prominently.

We have no real idea where the name SIRDAVIS comes from, but we expect Beyoncé to provide clarity when she officially announces the bottling. The “Sir” part could be a nod to her son, named Sir. The meaning of “Davis” is less clear. Beyoncé’s latest album featured a track called “BODYGUARD” with the lyric “Wheels in the gravel, Davis in my bones,” although its relevance remains ambiguous. Some fans speculate it refers to iconic jazz musician Miles Davis, but no solid link has been established.

It’s currently unclear when Beyoncé will officially announce SIRDAVIS. We anticipate the full labels on the bottle will be accessible via the TTB website soon. These labels will provide more details, such as the ABV of the whiskey.

In April, Beyoncé and Jay-Z were reported tasting rare Yamazaki whiskies in Japan, possibly in preparation for this project. In July, Megan Thee Stallion revealed that she was inspired to start her own tequila brand by Beyoncé, who apparently advised her to have her own alcohol brand. This seemed unusual at the time as Beyoncé did not have an alcohol brand herself, but now it seems Beyoncé was ahead of the curve with her own whiskey venture.

Source: AP, B7album.