Forget your standard whiskey neat. At the Sourdough Saloon in Dawson City, the drink of choice is the Sourtoe Cocktail, and it comes with a garnish that will make most people squeamish. It’s a preserved human toe.
The rule is non-negotiable: your lips must touch the toe. You can sip it slow or chug it fast, but if that big toe doesn’t kiss your mouth, you haven’t done it. Participating earns you a certificate and membership in the Sourtoe Cocktail Club, a title that carries a bit of gritty prestige in the Yukon.
The origin story is darker than the bar itself. Legend has it that in the 1920s, rum runners Louie and Otto Linken got caught in a blizzard. Louie’s foot froze, and his brother Otto had to amputate it to save him. They preserved it in alcohol, and years later, Captain Dick Stevenson found the jar in an abandoned cabin. He turned that grim relic into a ritual that has outlasted him; Stevenson died in 2019, but the club continues.
So where do they get the toes? Over 25 have been donated to the club over the decades. One came from Nick Griffiths, a former Royal Marine who lost a toe to frostbite during an extreme winter marathon. The original toe is long gone, but the tradition stays alive through these grim donations.
If you’re ever in Dawson City and want to test your limits, head to the Sourdough Saloon. Take the Sourtoe Oath, watch the toe drop, and do the deed. It’s not about the taste—it’s about the story you can tell afterward.