Close-up of one of the mummified toes used in the Sourtoe Cocktail."Fresh" toes are on their way. Photo: Philippe Morin-CBC

“Fresh” contribution for the Yukon mummified toe drink

“Sourtoe” cocktail to get new British toes in reserve

A competitor in this year’s Yukon marathon has said he’ll contribute his three amputated toes to the Dawson City bar, the Downtown Hotel which offers the shrivelled toe drink.

The name “sourtoe” is a play on the word sourdough which was given to early prospectors during the Klondike gold rush in the late 1890’s who often survived on the tough bread.

A toe ready to be dropped into your drink, along with the official certificate as a member of the Sourtoe Cocktail Club. Photo: Philippe Morin-CBC

The “tradition” of the sourtoe cocktail apparently originates (or so the story goes) in the 1920’s when a rum-runner and his brother were caught in a blizzard. One of them broke through some ice and got his foot wet which froze his big toe. The other brother chopped it off with an axe to prevent gangrene from spreading. The toe was put in a jar of alcohol in their remote cabin where it remained until its apparent discovery in 1973.

From there it ended up as a dare and membership in the “Sourtoe Cocktail Club”. To become a member you have to swallow the drink, generally whisky, and let the toe touch your lips.

The rule is, “You can drink it fast. You can drink it slow. But your lips must touch that gnarly toe.”

Downtown Hotel- drinking the Sourtoe (CBC)

To prevent people from swallowing the toe, there was a $500 charge. That didn’t stop one American man in 2013 who slapped the money on the counter and then swallowed the gruesome digit and quickly left.  His action was definitely not appreciated by the Downtown Bar, nor many of the patrons as there was only one toe in reserve for the tradition which is a big favourite among tourists.

The fine for swallowing the toe has since been increased to $2,500.

The bar placed an advert for replacement toes on its website after the 2013 incident.

But since then, another incident has left the hotel furious. In June 2017 a man, apparently from Quebec, made off with the toe when the bartender was distracted. Due to the furor, and the fact that he had left behind his “sourtoe certificate” with his name on it when he slipped away,  the culprit apparently relented and mailed back the toe.

When the toe was taken last year, the bar put out another advert seeking its return Photo: Downtown Hotel

Now British adventurer Nick Griffiths has offered his amputated digits to the bar.

Yukon Ultra marathoner Nick Griffiths suffered frostbitten toes in the gruelling race. He’s donating them to the Dawson City bar for the sourtoe cocktail. Photo- N Griffiths

Griffiths was competing in the gruelling Yukon Ultra  backcountry race in February and was among those who suffered the effects of the extreme cold.  The Ultra includes  160km, 48km, and 690km distances in the dead of the Arctic winter.

This month, his big toe and a section of his two smaller toes were amputated in England.

The bar in Canada’s far north likes to keep a couple of toes in reserve and asked him if he would donate the items, to which he has agreed and they’ll likely be soon on their way to Dawson City in time for the busy summer tourist season.

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