A bar in Canada’s northern Yukon Territory that serves a notorious cocktail with a severed human toe is celebrating today after an alleged thief who made off with the bar’s freshest digit returned it back along with a letter of apology.
Staff at the Downtown Hotel in Dawson City, about 530 km northwest of territorial capital Whitehorse, reported the theft of the mummified toe last Sunday.
The bar serves human toes in its signature drink called “Sourtoe Cocktail,” a play on the word sourdough, widely used by northern and Indigenous Canadians, and a throwback to Dawson City’s glory days during the Yukon Gold Rush in late 19th century.
The @SourtoeCocktail‘s stolen toe was returned: By mail, with a letter of apology says @YukonRCMP: https://t.co/8ive2qhPBi pic.twitter.com/KttIafbI10
— Philippe Morin (@YukonPhilippe) June 23, 2017
The bar apparently has some backup toes, but this one was donated by a man who recently had the toe surgically removed, hotel manager Geri Coulbourne told CBC News.
“This was our new toe, and it was a really good one. We just started using it this weekend,” Coulbourne told CBC News.
She reads the apology letter! @CBCNorth reached hotel manager in Dawson City who reads @SourtoeCocktail thief’s note https://t.co/XJPNXPsfI6 pic.twitter.com/owlz3osKFT
— Philippe Morin (@YukonPhilippe) June 23, 2017
Staff at the bar suspected a Quebec man who had ordered the drink earlier and appealed for the digit to be returned.
The local detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police got a call on Tuesday from the man suspected of taking the toe, saying he had put the pilfered digit in the mail.
The toe came back! The Dawson City toe theft has been solved. https://t.co/ZYVIFbN6rI
— Yukon RCMP (@YukonRCMP) June 23, 2017
“The man then called the Downtown Hotel and provided the same message to staff, along with a verbal apology,” the local RCMP said in a press release.
On Thursday, the Mounties dispatched RCMP Cpl. Jeff Myke to ensure the package, which contained both the toe and a letter of apology, was safe to open.
“At the time that the package was opened, the toe was believed to be in good condition,” the RCMP release said.
No charges are expected, police say.
With files from Philippe Morin of CBC News
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