The world is vast, and our drinking habits have come a long way from simple fermented beverages to elaborate cocktails served in fancy glasses. But in Dawson City, a small town in Canada's Yukon territory, one drink has very little to do with luxury ingredients or bartending techniques. The Sourtoe Cocktail is served with an actual human toe, preserved and dehydrated, and there is one rule that every drinker has to follow: your lips must touch it.
It sounds like a dare someone would come up with after a few drinks, but the Sourtoe Cocktail has been a local attraction since 1973. Thousands of curious visitors have taken the challenge, and it has become one of the strangest drinking traditions in Canada.
The Sourtoe Cocktail is a shot of alcohol served with a genuine human toe dropped into the glass. The toe is dehydrated and preserved before it is used, so this is not a freshly amputated body part or a novelty shaped like one. The drink can be made with different alcoholic beverages, although Yukon Jack, a Canadian whisky-based liqueur, has long been a popular choice.
According to Dawson City's official tourism website, the basic recipe calls for at least one ounce of alcohol and one dehydrated toe, with a little courage thrown in for good measure.
The ritual is what makes it famous. You can drink the shot quickly or take your time, but the toe has to touch your lips. Once you complete the challenge, you can become a member of the Sourtoe Cocktail Club.
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You have to travel to Dawson City, Yukon, to try the original Sourtoe Cocktail. It is served at the Sourdough Saloon inside the Downtown Hotel, located near the corner of Second Avenue and Queen Street.
The experience is organised rather than something you simply order and receive at the bar. Visitors buy their drink, take the Sourtoe Oath and watch as the Toe Captain places the preserved toe into the glass. After that, it is your turn to take the shot while making sure your lips touch the toe.
The official Dawson City tourism website says the club has welcomed more than 100,000 members from around the world. It is a popular stop for travellers who want a story to tell long after their Yukon trip is over. If you are planning a visit, check with the Downtown Hotel for current timings, prices and participation rules, as these can change.
The story behind the drink goes back to the 1920s, although some of its details are told as local legend. According to the Sourtoe Cocktail Club's official account, two brothers, Louie and Otto Linken, were transporting alcohol across the border when they encountered a blizzard.
Louie reportedly stepped into icy water, soaking his foot. The cold caused severe frostbite, and his brother Otto amputated the damaged big toe to prevent gangrene. The toe was then preserved in a jar of alcohol and left behind in a remote cabin.
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Decades later, in 1973, Dawson City local Dick Stevenson discovered the jar while cleaning out an abandoned cabin. He came up with the idea of putting the preserved toe into a drink, and the Sourtoe Cocktail tradition began.
Stevenson turned the unusual discovery into a drinking challenge, and word gradually spread beyond the Yukon. What started as a bizarre local stunt became a recognised tourist attraction. The name is also a playful twist on the word “sourdough”, a term associated with people who lived in the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush era.
This is probably the part most people want to know about. The Downtown Hotel does not make artificial toes for the cocktail. The club receives genuine human toes through donations, often from people who have undergone amputations.
According to Canadian Geographic, the donors have included people who lost toes because of medical conditions or accidents. Some donations have come from people who decided to leave their amputated toes to the bar, while others have been offered by individuals who wanted to contribute to the unusual tradition.
The donated toes are preserved and prepared before they are used in the drink. Canadian Geographic reported that the hotel had moved away from simply storing toes in salt, using a polymer coating to help preserve them instead. The club's official tourism page says it has acquired more than 25 toes through donations since the tradition began.
The supply has not always been trouble-free. Toes have been lost, stolen or swallowed by customers over the years, which is why the bar takes the rules seriously.
There is no secret reward or special drink waiting at the end. If you complete the ritual and the toe touches your lips, you are welcomed into the Sourtoe Cocktail Club. Participants can receive a certificate commemorating the experience, and their names become part of the club's growing record of members.
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There is, however, one thing you should definitely not do: swallow the toe. The bar has introduced a substantial penalty for anyone who swallows, damages or loses it. Canadian Geographic reported the fine at CAD 2,500, introduced after a customer swallowed a toe in 2013. Confirm the current rule and fee with the hotel before taking part.
The challenge is not really about enjoying a carefully crafted cocktail. It is about taking part in an odd piece of Yukon folklore and leaving with a story that is difficult to top at dinner.
Personally, I think the Sourtoe Cocktail is the sort of experience you either find fascinating or absolutely refuse to try. The history behind it is more interesting than the drink itself, especially the way an old preserved toe turned into a tradition that attracts visitors from all over the world. I would probably want to see the ceremony before deciding whether I could actually take the shot.
The Sourtoe Cocktail is a shot served with a real, dehydrated human toe at the Sourdough Saloon in Dawson City, Yukon. Started in 1973, the tradition uses donated toes and requires drinkers to let the toe touch their lips. Successful participants can join the Sourtoe Cocktail Club and receive a commemorative certificate.
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