Picture this: you’ve just mixed a vibrant cocktail, but it needs that final flourish to wow your fri...
Toe-tally Crazy Cocktails
Some weird and wonderful cocktails have been mentioned on this blog, but this is by far the most unbelievable concoction. It is definitely not for those with a weak stomach.
The Sourtoe Cocktail is exactly what the name suggests: a drink garnished with a preserved, amputated toe. Traditionally, (yes this has been going on for some time!) it was served with a beer glass full of champagne. Nowadays, the alcohol of choice is usually Yukon Jack Whiskey, although the courageous consumer can choose any drink.
If you are interested in trying the macabre drink, it is served at the Downtown Hotel, Yukon, Canada. Unbelievably, there are now 100,000 members of the Sourtoe Cocktail Club, and 65,000 of these have taken the challenge, paying $5 for the privilege. The club has one rule: “Drink it fast, or drink it slow. But the lips have gotta touch the toe.”
Those who finish their drink are asked to sign a logbook and then receive a certificate to prove their bravery (or stupidity, you decide).
It gets worse. The club is now on its tenth toe, thanks to donations from various sources. The nine previous toes have either been lost, stolen, or swallowed. The very first toe was accidentally consumed by a fearless visitor, who was aiming to get the record for drinking the most Sourtoe cocktails. On his thirteenth drink, he fell off his chair and swallowed it.
Most recently, the toe was deliberately swallowed by a man known as Josh from New Orleans. In 2013, he ordered the drink, necked it, toe and all, and paid his $500 fine, before walking out. Thankfully, the hotel had a spare, and the fine for swallowing the appendage was raised to $2,500. The limb had been donated in 2002 by Steve White, who had it amputated after developing hammertoe.
The craze started back in 1973. Captain Dick Stevenson found a severed toe in a jar and a drunken game ensued. It is believed to have belonged to a miner who had it amputated due to frostbite. It had been preserved in alcohol for more than 50 years before being discovered by Stevenson.
For those worried about the health implications behind the gruesome game, the toe is well looked after. It is first pickled in medical alcohol before being packed in dry salts.
A word of advice, if you are planning on visiting the small, gold mining town, wear thick socks and sturdy shoes. Frostbite seems to be a common problem in this area, and the hotel likes to have spare toes handy.
Pardon the interruption
Did you know that you can become a member for free, taking your cocktail making skills up to level 11. You can save your My Bar ingredients, make tasting notes, have personalised Tried and Want to try lists and more.
Filed with tags
More to explore
Ringing in the New Year calls for a little flair in your cocktail shaker. It's a chance for amateur...
Some of our favourite cocktails are the ones we top with cream. And there is nothing that a good hot...
Tag cloud
Explore more with our randomised tag cloud.
-
State Inspired
-
Cocktail Garnish
-
Disney
-
Social Occasions
-
Fine Dining
-
Tom Collins
-
Smoke
-
Intellectual
-
Chilly
-
Champagne
-
Cultural
-
Easy-going
-
Dark Rum
-
Family
-
Jeff Berry
-
Dry
-
Dinner
-
Reggae
-
High-Proof
-
Tour
Bartender's top tip
Related posts
A Heap of Unused Basil Led Me to My New Favourite Cocktail
The Unexpected Journey to a New Cocktail It all started with a left over pile of basil looking forlongingly at me from my countertop, leftover from a weekend of coking with friends with the usual arra... read more
Tools to Perfect Your Blended Drinks
Tools to Perfect Your Blended Drinks Blended drinks are the life of the party, the refreshing companion on a hot summer day, and the ultimate way to sneak in some veggies without anyone noticing. Whet... read more
The History of the Mai Tai
The Mai Tai is more than just a cocktail; it’s a tropical escape in a glass, a sip of sunshine, and a ticket to paradise. This delightful drink has a history as colorful as its ingredients, filled wit... read more
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Get tips straight into your inbox.
Upgrade your mixology
Become a member for free taking your cocktail making skills up to level 11. Or become a premium member to rise to cocktail greatness.
- Save your bar forever
- Access to our Cocktail Creator, allowing you to create your own wonderful concoctions.
- Create personalised cocktail menus for all your events, bars or parties
- Save cocktails to personalised 'Tried' and 'Want to try' lists
- Create and record tasting notes on cocktails
- Create lists of cocktails to share with friends and family
- A personalised MyBar URL, allowing you to share everything you can make with friends
- And much more ... (what to buy next, measurement choices, search personalisation...)
Have you tried our Wordpress Plugin?
Download our plugin and embed cocktail recipes directly onto your own site or blog.
Choose from our whole recipe database, or choose a specific cocktail made with a certain ingredient, and let us place a beautiful recipe on your own site.
Find out more