Ten years ago, Joe Morette was enjoying some beer on his New Hampshire farm when one of his turkeys knocked over a can and started sipping the suds. Morette’s been feeding his turkeys beer (specifically lager) ever since. He says the resulting beer-bellied birds taste better, an opinion his customers share. One tells the AP that the gravy is better and the “bird overall has a slightly different taste that is very appealing.” As to whether or not the beer-guzzling animals are just trying to cope with the stressful holiday season, Morette wouldn’t know. “Turkeys don’t seem to be the brightest,” he says, “so they could stumble and you wouldn’t know if they drank too much or not.” PETA is of course against it (animal diets and treatment are a touchy subject at the moment), but a food and agricultural specialist at UNH waves off concerns: “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?” Unfortunately, Morette only raises 50 turkeys, so you’ll likely have to settle for beer-can turkey. [ABC, Related]
