BUSHMILLS, Northern Ireland, November 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Bushmills Irish Whiskey, which has been handcrafted on the North Coast of Ireland for centuries, has partnered with world famous luthier, George Lowden, to create three special-edition guitars, handmade from barrel-oak used in the whiskey making process.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121113/573941-a )



(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121113/573941-b )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121113/573941-c )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121113/573941-d )



Bushmills Irish Whiskey and George Lowden Guitars are both world-renowned brands from Northern Ireland. George and his team have handmade guitars for some of most famous names in music, including Eric Clapton, Van Morrison and The Edge.

The guitars were presented to singer-songwriter Foy Vance and other artists as a thank-you for their participation in Bushmills Live, the handcrafted whiskey and music festival which took place at the Old Bushmills Distillery in June 2012, headlined by Snow Patrol.

The guitar-making process took more than three months. Each barrel stave had to be carefully sanded by hand then painstakingly glued together to create panels which were then hand-cut by George Lowden to guitar templates he has been using for almost 40 years.

Finally, the team at Lowden assembled the guitars, incorporating the whiskey barrel oak into traditional Lowden body designs.

George Lowden said: "Making any guitar by hand is highly challenging but it was an enormous privilege to work with such special wood and it took us a considerable amount of time to create them. However, what we have managed to do is create something quite special. We were delighted that the musicians were so pleased with them."

Bushmills Master Distiller, Colum Egan, said: "To see barrels that have housed our whiskey being used in this way is remarkable. Their creation celebrates the handcrafted qualities at the heart of both Bushmills and Lowden Guitars and I want to thank George and his team for making them."

To download a full gallery of the 'making-of' the guitars, click on this link: https://www.yousendit.com/download/WUJacHBFNXZrUm5xYk1UQw

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SOURCE Bushmills Irish Whiskey