This video contains images of a preserved, severed human toe.
Just warning you.
There's not really much I can say here.
I'm in Dawson City, which is an old mining town in the Yukon Territory,
where the Klondike and Yukon rivers meet, and this...
this is a cocktail with a severed human toe in it.
- The Sourtoe Cocktail, it's real simple: straight shot of liquor, at least 40%,
and you drop a human toe into it.
It all started way back in Prohibition era.
Two brothers running alcohol up into Alaska.
They thought the police were on their trail,
so one of the brothers stepped through some water,
got frostbite on his toe.
The other brother took an axe, hacked off the toe.
They left it in a jar of their alcohol out in a cabin in the woods.
Years later, Captain Dick Stevenson bought this cabin,
was emptying it out and he found this jar with a toe in it,
thought it'd be hilarious to bring it to the bar,
and do some drinks with it with his friends,
and the Sourtoe Cocktail was born.
Our toes we receive from donors, mostly anonymous,
but we actually have a gentleman over in the UK right now
who ran the Yukon ultra-marathon over the winter, got frostbite,
and decided, you know what?
Might as well put these frostbitten, removed toes
to good use, so we're having somebody pick them up in June,
and hopefully, he can come back here someday
and do his own toes in a Sourtoe Cocktail.
Terry Lee is our current Sourtoe Master.
Former ferryboat captain, so he's got his title of captain there.
Fun guy, loves his toes.
- I serve four nights a week.
I've been doing this for five years, and I've seen all kinds of people.
This toe is a hammertoe, which was deformed,
and so it had to be removed. Who it was removed from, I don't know.
The person is probably still alive, but for most cases, it's people that's dead.
That's toe number 13.
The other toes, you know, one was lost and a couple were stolen, returned...
Some just get used up.
Five were swallowed, one on purpose,
and I don't even want to talk about that guy.
They've gone through quite a life.
- Full disclosure, I don't drink alcohol,
so there's a little bit of special dispensation here.
I still have the shot of liquor and the toe's still going in it,
but I'm pouring off the liquor,
and putting the toe in some ginger ale instead.
I'm assured it's all within the rules.
- It's safe, I mean, the health inspector gives us the okay to do it.
It used to be that it could be done in anything
from milk to pop to champagne to beer, but in more recent years,
we're sticking to straight alcohol that's 40% or higher,
and that's sort of our way of appeasing the health inspector
and making sure this can continue on.
Now that summer's coming on, it can get pretty busy.
We can do upwards of 50, 60, 70 a night.
- Up to now, we are at 77,888, but that's since June 11, 1995.
This toe started in 1973, so the number could be 100,000.
- I could wax philosophical for a while on how this
isn't actually this disgusting.
It's just like having a bit of beef jerky in there
that's being used as a garnish.
And actually, the owner of the beef jerky would be much less likely to consent
than the owner of the toe.
But, I know what you're here for.
Let's do it.
- Okay.
So Thomas.
- Yes? - Are you ready?
- I am ready.
- You better be.
Be warned, the toe must not enter the mouth
or be bitten, chewed, or God forbid, swallowed,
or it's a $2,500 fine.
And so, in light of the above, you can drink it fast,
you can drink it slow, but your lips
must touch this gnarly toe.
Just your lips, no teeth, no tongue, no tonsils.
- Here goes.
Alright, pour out the liquor.
Pour out the toe.
- There we go.
- Cheers.
- Make sure it touches the lips.
And there it is.
Well done, sir.
- [shudders]
- This is the certification of your folly, sir.
- Thank you very much.