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Rattlesnake Vodka Seized

By Miss Cellania in Animal, Crime & Law on Mar 16, 2008 at 8:06 am


150vodaksnakeThe Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission seized an unusual cache of vodka at a rattlesnake farm in Palo Pinto County. The 411 bottles each contained not only vodka, but also a ten-inch rattlesnake! Sgt. Charlie Cloud said he’s never seen anything like it.

TABC officials said alcohol containing snakes or scorpions is popular in Asian cultures. An Internet search found operations selling Thai scorpion vodka, cobra whiskey, giant centipede whiskey, herbal gecko lizard wine and Mekong River eel wine.

“It’s very bizarre,” Cloud said. “We learned that these are believed to contain aphrodisiac properties. We heard that some people believe having a venomous animal creates hallucinations.”

TABC agents received a tip several weeks ago and sent an undercover agent to the rattlesnake ranch to purchase the vodka. It wasn’t on display.

“We had to go in and ask for it,” Cloud said.

Bob Popplewell, the owner of Bayou Bob’s Brazos River Rattlesnake Ranch, is expected to face charges of selling alcohol without a permit. Link -via Arbroath

(image credit: TABC)


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COMMENT
  1. L. Jameson
    Mar 16th, 2008 at 9:33 am

    I may invoke the wrath of Herpetologist's worlwide over this....but having grown up in south Texas....I'd feel NO remorse over drowning rattle snakes in vodka. I wouldn't drink it...but who am I tell anyone else they shouldn't.

    If you went out every day hunting for rattlesnakes on the same acre in south Texas, you'd still never run out of snakes no matter how successful you were. Just head out to the Freer, Tx. Rattlesnake roundup...you'll understand.

  2. S. Boomshakalaka
    Mar 16th, 2008 at 9:48 am

    I agree...stuffing wild animals in bottles of vodka is GENIUS. Especially if someone can get rich while doing it!!!!!!! So the guy erradicates the snakes while making a buck...GENIUS!!!!

    I wish I had a GIANT SAW so I could cut along the border of Texas and let that M****RF***ER float away into the Gulf of Mexico.

  3. Peter Kelly
    Mar 16th, 2008 at 10:00 am

    Well, they sell bottles of liquor with snakes in it in Viet Nam. I took some pictures in Saigon a few years ago. I have one up on Flickr.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterkellystudios/186867236/

  4. Hunter
    Mar 16th, 2008 at 11:08 am

    Peter,

    I must say that your flickr photo beats the hell out of this article in oddity. Good shot.

  5. biltmore
    Mar 16th, 2008 at 12:03 pm

    Wow Peter ... that is insane!

  6. violet/riga
    Mar 16th, 2008 at 5:05 pm

    In the UK there is a shop called Edible that sells things like this. Their site is http://www.edible.com/shop/ for further information. I must say that the lollipops are rather lovely!

  7. Steohawk
    Mar 16th, 2008 at 5:20 pm

    I just sneezed without a permit. The man is gonna get me!

  8. L. Jameson
    Mar 17th, 2008 at 4:03 pm

    @ steohawk Only if you put it in a bottle of Vodka and sell it without a TABC tax stamp.

  9. Tempscire
    Mar 17th, 2008 at 6:13 pm

    Sgt. Cloud needs to watch more Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern.

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