Tipsy Turkey

New York, New York, November 24, 2009:

You'll need to be 21 to take a bite out of this Thanksgiving turkey. The owner of a Midtown pub is serving Wild Turkey with a twist -- for Thanksgiving, he's soaking his holiday birds with booze.

"It's a turkey you can eat and drink at the same time, but you'll need a cab home," said pub owner Paul Hurley, who will serve up birds injected with 100-proof Georgi vodka. "There's an ounce of vodka in every bite."

Hurley, the owner of O'Casey's Tavern on East 41st Street, said a former patron Ron came up with the idea in 15 years ago.

"On Ronstache Day (October 30), Ron said, 'Why not try some vodka in the turkey?' " Hurley said.

Although the bird will have a strong vodka flavor, a lot of the alcohol content will evaporate in the oven, said chef Paul Loftus. So to ensure a strong kick, Loftus will add plenty of sauce -- and we do mean sauce -- to the cooked gravy, which he'll serve with a straw.

And in case this still isn't enough of a hit, each serving of bird will include a turkey-embedded reservoir with a fruit-flavored vodka shot and a straw, allowing diners to eat, drink and be merry -- all in a single bite.

Yesterday marked the first step of the process, with Loftus injecting 8 ounces of the vodka into each of the 20-pound birds.

He'll continue the process every six hours for the next three days, giving the turkey more than half a week to soak up a half-gallon of hooch.

Loftus is also using apple, lemon, peach, orange, and cherry vodka for a fruity finale. And, of course, the chef recommends pairing the meal with vodka martinis.

The $29.95 meal includes a hefty serving of sauced turkey, sage and sausage stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and a cab to anywhere in Manhattan.

Already, more than 125 holiday boozers have signed up for the feast. Those who want to eat at home but don't want to cook can pick up the whole cooked bird at the pub for $69.

As expected, Ron and Brad are set to attend the event. "We wouldn't [expletive] miss it for the world," said Ron. "Paulie comped us the meal 'cause I came up with the idea. Booze in a bird...it's [expletive] genius, right?"

Posted by Bittle at November 24, 2009 09:33 AM