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US distillery breeds pigs to taste like whiskey
A US distillery has embarked on an experiment to see if it can breed pigs that taste like whiskey.
Templeton Rye Distillery in Iowa, US, is raising pigs to taste like whiskey
The Templeton Rye Pork Project was dreamt up by the founders of Templeton Rye Distillery in Iowa, who wanted to see if they could create pork that tastes like their whiskey, without the need for marinating it in alcohol.
“We have a little motto here,” the distillery’s co-founder Keith Kerkhoff told Quad Cities. “My dad always told me, ‘Nothing good happens after 12pm’. So it seems like that’s when this idea was probably thought of – after we had a few drinks.”
Twenty-five pigs born in January 2014 are being raised on the farm, looked after by a friend of the Templeton team, Nick Berry, who has a PhD in animal science focused on meat eating and quality and works in the commercial pig industry for an animal health company.
All the pigs are purebred Duroc, which according to Berry are known for their meat quality and a natural fit for the project.
However, the pigs will not be exposed to any whisky, but will be eating a distinct diet that includes the dry distillery grain from the whisky-making process within the feed.
Interest is already beginning to show with Kerkhoff reporting receiving a number of inquiries about the pigs from backyard pit masters to renowned restaurant owners, including the likes of Chicago’s Stephanie Izard, winner of ‘Top Chef’.
“I don’t think we’re going to have any problem getting rid of the 25 pigs,” said Kerkhoff, who will decide next month where the pigs will go.
Believed to be the first experiment of its kind, Kerkhoff added: “This is something somebody is going to do and we want to be at the cutting edge of it, and I think we are.
“I think it really falls in line with what their roots surround – whisky making and rural Iowa and the Midwest. This project really fits right in line with a lot of their history and heritage.
“The whole aspect of giving back to your community, giving back to your state and producing something that creates jobs; it’s all about economic development.”