Kentucky bourbon maker Wild Turkey is making a bid for the Thanksgiving turkey pardoned yearly at the White House, offering to make the bird the official "spokesbird" at their distillery in Lawrenceburg.
"In our humble opinion, there is no better place for this year's presidentially-pardoned bird to live out its golden years than the Wild Turkey Distillery grounds in central Kentucky," said Jimmy Russell, Wild Turkey's master distiller. "So Mr. President, this Thanksgiving, please - Give Us The Bird," added Russell.
He sent a formal request to the White House, noting that the turkey would be well housed in the newly renovated distillery, one of the nation's largest.
But it's probably too late for this year. Peggy Albertson, spokeswoman for the National Turkey Federation, which provides the White House turkey and backup bird, said both will be sent to George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate.
But she said that the Federation will consider Wild Turkey's request for another year, if it passes special health tests. "I encourage them to contact us," she told Secrets.
