Canada's bizarre mummified toe cocktail

Born following a nasty case of frostbite, the Sourtoe Cocktail has become a rite of passage for locals and visitors – and it might just be the world's most unusual drink.

On my second night in Canada's northern Yukon Territory, a bartender at the Eldorado Hotel pulled out a pair of tongs, plucked a mummified toe from a silver tray, plunged it into a glass of alcohol and dropped it into my glass of Yukon Jack whisky with a plunk.

"Whose toe is that?" I asked. "And which toe is it?"

"Not really sure," he said, with a sly smile. "It's a gnarly one, though."

The dehydrated, salt-preserved digit was black and shrivelled. In its heyday, it may have been a well-kept pinky. Or perhaps one of the less celebrated middle toes, finally getting their spotlight.

Warning: This article contains images and descriptions that some may find upsetting.

I was in Dawson City, a 2,300-person former gold mining hub located 330 miles (531km) from the nearest actual city, about to try the famous Sourtoe Cocktail. This two-ingredient drink (a shot of whisky and… a toe) has been a tradition here for more than 50 years. It just might be the world's most unusual libation.

A laminated white flyer on the worn wooden table explained the "Sourtoe Rules", noting that my membership to the Sourtoe Cocktail Club would be voided if I chewed, sucked, bit or otherwise ingested the severed digit. It also exclaimed, in extra-large letters, that there was a $2,500 (£1,884) fine for swallowing it. I was happy to limit toe contact as much as humanly possible.

Most patrons feel the same way. However, there have been accidental swallowings in the past, plus a notorious incident in 2013 where a man downed the toe on purpose and was reportedly run out of town for unsportsmanlike conduct.

"Are you ready to join the club?" the bartender, who identified himself as the official "Toe Captain", asked me. It was too late to back out now. I nodded. He then recited the official "Sourtoe chant", adding to the romance of it all:

"You can drink it fast, you can drink it slow, but your lips must touch this gnarly toe!"

And with that, I dutifully took my shot of whisky through clenched teeth as someone's former toe kicked me in the mouth.

A cocktail born in a blizzard

Before Dawson City was famous for its toe-garnished cocktail, it was famous for its gold. When the mineral was discovered nearby in 1896, it became the epicentre of the international Klondike Gold Rush. Within two years, tens of thousands of people descended into the area in search of fortune. The town grew from a network of prospector tents to include saloons, hotels and restaurants – many of which still stand today.

But when gold was struck elsewhere a few years later, the prospectors moved on and the town's population plummeted, leaving the few remaining hardy residents to eke out a living in Dawson City's harsh landscape, 60 miles (96km) from the Alaska border.

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The Sourtoe's origins go back to US Prohibition........

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