Skip to main content

Jose Cuervo and Fender Team Up to Create Special Edition Agave Guitar

Music and booze are pretty much meant to be together.  Just ask any rock star. Or blues man. Or country singer. Or…well, you get the point. Jose Cuervo and Fender took the idea and ran with it, teaming up to create a Fender Stratocaster that is pretty much made from booze.

Utilizing the agave plant—what tequila is made from—Fender Custom Shop Master Builder Paul Waller spent nearly thirty hours crafting the Fender Agave Stratocaster. On top of that, there was another five days of agave stalk harvesting and guitar sealing book-ending those thirty hours.

Recommended Videos

Everything that is usually made from wood on a guitar was replaced with agave (the body, twenty-one fret neck, and fingerboard) for this special release. The rest of the classic-styled ax is made from Fender hardware and features a custom-engraved neck plate (with a Jose Cuervo inscription), hand-wound Fat 50s neck, and RWRP middle and bridge pickups.

This isn’t the first time that Jose Cuervo has used agave in ways other than making tequila. Since 1998, they’ve partnered with a variety of companies to produce agave products, including working with Ford to produce sustainable agave products and working with pro big wave surfer Gary Linden to create a surfboard made completely from agave. Linden, who has worked with agave for decades, traveled with Waller to Tequila, Mexico to help him first learn about, and then harvest the agave that would eventually become the Agave Stratocaster.

Not only was the special edition Strat crafted to help forward Jose Cuervo’s mission of finding more sustainable uses for agave, but it also helps mark the thirtieth anniversary of the Fender Custom Shop, which has crafted guitars who dozens of stars, from Robert Cray to Eric Clapton.

The lucky recipients of this guitar were the band Young the Giant, who’ve worked with Fender since just after the release of their self-titled first album.

On getting to play the agave guitar, Young The Giant guitarist Jacob Tilley said, “The agave drastically changes the Strat’s attributes. It’s feather light. The spanky attack with a quick release was challenging at first. I had to approach everything with grace.”

Sam Slaughter
Sam Slaughter was the Food and Drink Editor for The Manual. Born and raised in New Jersey, he’s called the South home for…
Topics
What is Gibraltar coffee? The trendy espresso drink you need to try
Where and how this tiny espresso drink began
gibraltar coffee

Found only at select coffee shops is the Gibraltar coffee -- a coffee menu item that will leave you saying, "What is that?" based on its name alone. This specialty coffee originated in San Francisco at Blue Bottle Coffee but has since spread to small coffee shops worldwide. I'd describe this coffee as similar to a Cortado, yet these two drinks have unique differences.

When I first saw a Gibraltar coffee at a coffee shop, I knew I needed to learn more about what this coffee was all about. I chatted with Gibraltar coffee expert Vadym Granovskiy, an expert in coffee Artistry, expertise and mentorship, and TEDx Kyiv Speaker, to learn everything about the Gibraltar coffee -- from how it's made to how it was invented. Granovskiy is especially inspired by the story behind the accidental invention of Gibraltar coffee, drawing inspiration as a coffee lover himself. In his free time, he loves to experiment with new coffee and espresso beverages.

Read more
World Whiskey Society is launching a bourbon that’s finished in a rare, Japanese cask
World Whiskey Society's newest bourbon was dubbed "Samurai Edition"
Whiskey in a glass

Fans of exceptional, unique whiskey know all about the World Whiskey Society's prowess. Founded in 2020, this brand strives to bring rare, ultra-premium expressions to whiskey drinkers' home bars and liquor cabinets. Its newest whiskey combines America's "native spirit" with the aging techniques popularized in Japan.
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished In Japanese Mizunara Shochu Barrels

To say this whiskey is unique is an understatement. This 108-proof Kentucky straight bourbon dubbed the "Samurai Edition" begins with a mash bill of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley. Originating at the renowned Bardstown Bourbon Company, it's first matured in charred white American oak barrels before being finished in rare Japanese Mizunara oak casks previously used to age Shochu.

Read more
Michter’s releases two legacy whiskeys packed with flavor and heritage
Micher's is releasing two historic, timeless whiskeys
Michter's

If you're already a fan of Michter's iconic whiskeys like Michter's US-1 Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, Michter's US-1 Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon, or the iconic Michter's 10-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon, you'll be excited to learn about the popular brand's two new releases set to hit store shelves this month.
Shenk's Homestead Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey and Bomberger's Declaration Kentucky Straight Bourbon

This month, the distillery will release two whiskeys in its Michter's Legacy Series: Shenk's Homestead Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey and Bomberger's Declaration Kentucky Straight Bourbon.

Read more