The Good Stuff – Templeton Rye
I am not a bacon fanatic – I often go years without eating it – but I am on record as being a Templeton Rye fan. If I had to choose my favorite whiskey, Templeton would be selected more days than not. I would try a bit of Templeton pork though, if I could squeeze in to The Girl and Goat , or somewhere else hosting a Templeton Whiskey Bacon orgy.
The founders of Templeton Rye Distillery in Templeton, Iowa are trying to … create a pork that tastes like their famous whiskey. “We have a little motto here. My dad always told me, ‘Nothing good happens after 12 p.m.’ So, it seems like that’s when this idea was probably thought of – after we had a few drinks,” laughs the distillery’s co-founder, Keith Kerkhoff. He hopes the Templeton Rye Pork Project will be the exception to his dad’s motto. They’re raising 25 pigs, born in early January 2014, on a farm in Woodward, Iowa, about an hour east of Templeton.
Nick Berry, who has a Ph.D. in Animal Science focused on meat and eating quality, looks after the pigs. Berry works in the commercial pig industry for an animal health company, and he’s a friend of the Templeton team.
The pigs are purebred Duroc, which Berry says are known for their meat quality and are a natural fit for the project.
Despite what you may think, the pigs are not drinking any whiskey. Instead, they’re eating a distinct diet that incorporates the dry distillery grain, from the whiskey-making process, into the feed. Kerkhoff says they’re already getting a variety of inquiries about the pigs, from backyard pit masters to famous restaurant owners like Chicago’s Stephanie Izard, winner of ‘Top Chef.’ [owner of The Girl and Goat, and spinoffs]
(click here to continue reading Iowa distillery raises pigs to taste like whiskey | WQAD.com.)
The Good Stuff
Bacon