Vodka Infused Turkey Dinner Planned for NYC Irish Pub

A press release with this thrilling title landed in the inbox this morning: "CONTROVERSIAL 100 PROOF VODKA INFUSED HOLIDAY TURKEY IS BEING UNVEILED FOR THE HOLIDAY'S BY LOCAL NYC TAVERN. NO ONE UNDER 21 ALLOWED TO EAT AND INCLUDES A TAXI RIDE HOME." To which we would only add BARF. Earlier today Paul Hurley at O'Casey's Tavern on East 41st Street began injecting an unspecified number of 20-pound birds with 8 ounces of 100 proof flavored Georgi vodka: peach, raspberry, cherry and apple. Most of the vodka will evaporate out of the turkeys during cooking, but O'Casey's chef has planned for that, and he's preparing a vodka-infused gravy, served with a straw.

More than 125 bar patrons have already pre-ordered the turkey. The $29.95 meal includes sauced turkey, sage and sausage stuffing; cranberry sauce; sweet potatoes and a cab to anywhere in Manhattan. (Chef recommends pairing the meal with vodka martinis.) Hurley tells the Post he got the idea from his Irish mother 15 years ago: "On Christmas, my mom said, 'Why not try some vodka in the turkey?" He plans to inject the birds every six hours for the next three days, giving them time to soak up approximately one half-gallon of booze.

And in other turkey-related news, the FDNY is once again warning people about the dangers of deep-frying their birds. And Times dining critic Sam Sifton is warning people about the dangers of brining their turkeys before frying them:

Let’s start at the top. DO NOT BRINE A TURKEY THAT IS GOING TO BE FRIED. The first time I went to a turkey-fry we made that mistake, my friend Manny and I, the two of us amped on beer and adrenaline, redneck in the extreme. We put the brined turkey into the superhot peanut oil, which almost instantly converted the excess moisture the bird had been given by the brine into steam. The steam, caught inside the bird, exploded the breasts off the carcass and sent them hurtling skyward on a plume of boiling oil.

Isn't it inspiring to see the lengths people go to in their brave quest to make turkeys appetizing? Excelsior!