The Genius Reason Jose Cuervo Has A Hawk Employee

Producing a bottle of tequila entails a wondrously complex process, all centered around the artisanal (and historical) processing of the Blue agave. This foundational Maguey plant takes some five to twelve years to mature, making it a long-running investment. Once the plant's ripened, adept manual harvesters called jimadors painstakingly select agaves, slice away leaves, and reveal the coveted internal piñas. These indispensable agave "hearts" are transported to large ovens for baking, followed by crushing, fermenting, and distilling. Incredibly, over 11 pounds of piñas are required to make a single 750 milliliter bottle of 100% agave tequila (usually the best bottles to buy).

Needless to say, tequila producers work tirelessly to squeeze out every last drop from their prized piñas. So the folks at Jose Cuervo – the world's best-selling tequila brand – even employ hawks to watch over their agave heart stock. According to exclusive information from a brand representative, the two birds live full-time at the distillery, each accompanied by a dedicated handler. The hawks fly around the piñas, warding off critters and other birds from munching on (or pooping on and thus contaminating) the laboriously collected agave. Most importantly, agave plants attract other birds, bats, as well as insects — all animals in the Harris hawk's diet. It's an impressive, relatively unknown practice that enhances the brand's production process.

Employing a hawk or two may not be industry standard in the liquor business, but commercial falconry does occur elsewhere, where they employ a similar role: keeping a sensitive environment pest-free. The Harris hawks found at Jose Cuervo are easy to train, making them a favorite of bird handlers. The animals do well in flying through various environments and can navigate warehouses — two useful advantages for a tequila distillery. So whether you're drinking Jose Cuervo's blanco or cristalino tequila, know that a vigilant hawk kept track of the agave that made it into your bottle.

A Jose Cuervo representative reported to Food Republic that the hawks have worked at the distillery since the company's founding in 1795. Surprisingly, the connection between birds and the Jose Cuervo brand doesn't end there. Cuervo translates to crow from Spanish, and you can still find this other avian species on the tequila brand's seal. Crows were even once utilized as the main logo during the early days of the tequila's distribution, serving as an easy way to distinguish Jose Cuervo's barrels. So if you're both a birder and a tequila fan, consider a visit to the Jose Cuervo distillery.