Despite the name, no one’s ever found a filet mignon in a bottle of Beefeater gin. Likewise, you can swig Wild Turkey all day and never run the risk of choking on a wishbone. In fact, it’s fair to say that when it comes to meat content, North American beverages are a little on the paltry side.

Most of us don’t mind that. But for those whose carnivorous cravings simply aren’t satisfied by a platter of prime rib or a juicy rack of lamb, a number of critter-based East Asian beverages may be worth checking out.

In some cases, an animal-derived substance is incorporated into a drink’s recipe. Swine placenta, for example: Japan’s Nihon Shokuten company markets a soft drink that has this as its not-so-secret ingredient.

Or maybe you’d prefer eel essence. That’s what another Japanese firm fortifies one of its drinks with—and this one’s carbonated, for maximum refreshment!

A second approach is to concoct some kind of beastly cocktail. In China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, fresh snake bile is sometimes added to rice wine or harder liquor, creating a mixture meant—like nearly all such drinks—as an aphrodisiac or general tonic. Taipei’s Snake Alley has long been famous as a place to get your snake-bile fix.

The most common creature-concoctions, however, are made by steeping animal parts or whole animals in some kind of alcoholic liquid. These too are medicinal—after all, you’d hardly drink from a bottle with a whole crow floating in it just for the sake of the flavor.

And what might you find in one of these bottles? Try lizard—gecko in particular is a very popular additive in Vietnam. Or whole snake, or scorpion. Seahorse can be nice, or toad, or perhaps bees.

But behind the majority of these beverages is the elusive quest for wedded bliss. And for that, what better item to marinate in your favorite hooch than a penis? That of a deer is common enough, but for maximum effect, you’ll want to opt for the popular “three penis” or “multi-penis” version.

It gives a whole new meaning to the term “happy hour”!

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By DanBing on 18-06-2009