Drunken Thanksgiving Turkeys

In  New Orleans and South Louisiana some people cook their Thanksgiving turkey with the beer on the turkey instead of in a  glass. It makes a nice gravy. But when it comes to pairing beer with turkey a turkey farmer guy from New Hampshire named Joe Morette takes it a step further. It seems that since Joe's turkeys will drink just about anything he has been giving his birds beer since 1993, when he and his workers popped open a few cans after work on a hot July day. That day one turkey knocked one over and started drinking, and they've been sipping the suds ever since.

I am not sure if that qualifies as animal cruelty". Don't ask the turkeys. They like getting drunk and don't have Alcohol Anonymous membership. Too, Joe  insists the beer makes birds fatter, more flavorful and juicier. "Oh, yeah, it's noticeable," he said. "It's not a strong, gamey flavor, it's a nice turkey flavor." According to Joe's customers the turkeys are far superior to the supermarket varieties. "They claim that even the gravy is much darker, and much tastier he. The bird overall has a slightly different taste that is very appealing.....especially if you drink a few glasses of beer before eating it.

The animal rights group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) said turkeys shouldn't be fed beer and that "farmers across the country use questionable practices to keep costs down or to alter the taste of animals' flesh because their priority is profit, not the animals' welfare." No word if the PETA members who claim that drink beer themselves. But a turkey expert with the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension said it is unlikely the birds are suffering.  "I don't know exactly how much beer each turkey is consuming, but it would have to be a lot in order for it to kind of have the same effect as too much beer on people," said Carl Majewski, field specialist in food and agriculture. "I imagine it's not enough to really make 'em tipsy or anything like that. It's just enjoying a beer with their meal. Why not?"

Also, Humane Heartland, which oversees the treatment of farm animals, said that standards from the American Humane Association don't prohibit serving beer to animals.

Veterinarians say that giving beer to turkeys is not a standard protocol, the hops in the beer could be beneficial for the intestinal tract. And..............Japanese farmers have been said to feed cattle beer to stimulate their appetites. Those Japanese will eat anything.  A wine maker and farmer in the south of France have experimented with feeding cows the remainders of pressed grapes to produce meat they've dubbed "Vinbovin." It seems that farmers today have way too much time on their hands these days.

Turkeys are said to be among the dumbest of species, a little like the human customers in a bar on ladies night. I suspect they will drink anything and not complain. Now that Joe is endorsing getting turkeys drunk, the Thanksgiving question for this year might be, "How do we hide the beer from the turkeys this Thanksgiving.