Words by Helena Nicklin

"You can drink it fast, you can drink it slow. But your lips must touch that gnarly toe."

Believe it or not, in Canada, this is apparently a ‘thing’. It started sometime in the 1920s during prohibition, when a pair of brothers named Louis and Otto got caught in a blizzard while out doing a touch of ‘rum running’ (basically, smuggling illegal booze). Louis’ toe was frozen solid after they returned home, having been caught in water and running through snow. To prevent gangrene setting in, his lovely brother Otto did him the ‘kindest’ favour by chopping off his dead toe cleanly with an axe. Thanks, bro. For some reason, that surely only they will understand, they decided to preserve the toe in a bottle of whiskey to commemorate such a momentous occasion.

So, why drink a severed toe?

Why indeed? The bottle of whisky was eventually found in a remote cabin used by the brothers when smuggling rum, by Captain Dick Stevenson in 1973. Being a bloke who obviously had spent time in a rugby team, Captain Dick thought the grisly discovery would make a great token for an exclusive cocktail club - one where to join, you would have to drink from the bottle and have your lips touch the toe. *shudders*.

Where can you drink a Sourtoe cocktail?

In Yukon Bar, Dawson City, Canada, the toe still exists and wannabe members of the ‘club’ must still taste a sourtoe cocktail as described above. There is even a ‘toe master’, called Terry Lee, who looks after the toe, tops up the salt that keeps it in condition and lets people pay five dollars to taste a sourtoe cocktail. It’s a huge thing in Dawson City. It’s part of their history. There’s a real emotional connection to the toe. Can you imagine how sad these people were then, when in 2003, a crazy American tourist called Josh came with the express intention to swallow the toe - and then did so? Terry has still not forgiven him for this act of ‘selfishness and destruction’. The only thing that would right the wrong, he said, was for this guy to donate his big toe to the cause. Eeee.

Terry ‘Toe Master’ Lee at the Yukon Bar in Dawson City.

What happened next?

Josh had not realised exactly what swallowing the toe would do to the community. He felt so terrible that he changed his will to make sure that Dawson City could take his right, big toe upon his death.

But Terry will still not forgive him. Daaaang.

Make your own Sourtoe cocktail

Ingredients:

50cl American Whiskey
1 x toe

Method:

Pour whisky into a tumbler glass. Add toe. Drink whiskey. Do not swallow toe. Simples.

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