WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.840 This video contains images of a preserved, severed human toe. 2 00:00:03.840 --> 00:00:05.910 Just warning you. 3 00:00:05.910 --> 00:00:07.350 There's not really much I can say here. 4 00:00:07.350 --> 00:00:10.541 I'm in Dawson City, which is an old mining town in the Yukon Territory, 5 00:00:10.541 --> 00:00:13.480 where the Klondike and Yukon rivers meet, and this... 6 00:00:13.480 --> 00:00:16.697 this is a cocktail with a severed human toe in it. 7 00:00:16.697 --> 00:00:22.330 - The Sourtoe Cocktail, it's real simple: straight shot of liquor, at least 40%, 8 00:00:22.330 --> 00:00:24.350 and you drop a human toe into it. 9 00:00:24.350 --> 00:00:27.950 It all started way back in Prohibition era. 10 00:00:27.950 --> 00:00:30.900 Two brothers running alcohol up into Alaska. 11 00:00:30.900 --> 00:00:32.180 They thought the police were on their trail, 12 00:00:32.180 --> 00:00:33.980 so one of the brothers stepped through some water, 13 00:00:33.980 --> 00:00:35.370 got frostbite on his toe. 14 00:00:35.370 --> 00:00:38.380 The other brother took an axe, hacked off the toe. 15 00:00:38.380 --> 00:00:42.120 They left it in a jar of their alcohol out in a cabin in the woods. 16 00:00:42.120 --> 00:00:45.590 Years later, Captain Dick Stevenson bought this cabin, 17 00:00:45.590 --> 00:00:48.550 was emptying it out and he found this jar with a toe in it, 18 00:00:48.550 --> 00:00:51.000 thought it'd be hilarious to bring it to the bar, 19 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:53.300 and do some drinks with it with his friends, 20 00:00:53.300 --> 00:00:55.810 and the Sourtoe Cocktail was born. 21 00:00:55.810 --> 00:00:59.880 Our toes we receive from donors, mostly anonymous, 22 00:00:59.880 --> 00:01:03.440 but we actually have a gentleman over in the UK right now 23 00:01:03.450 --> 00:01:07.500 who ran the Yukon ultra-marathon over the winter, got frostbite, 24 00:01:07.500 --> 00:01:09.910 and decided, you know what? 25 00:01:09.910 --> 00:01:12.220 Might as well put these frostbitten, removed toes 26 00:01:12.220 --> 00:01:14.810 to good use, so we're having somebody pick them up in June, 27 00:01:14.810 --> 00:01:18.500 and hopefully, he can come back here someday 28 00:01:18.500 --> 00:01:21.450 and do his own toes in a Sourtoe Cocktail. 29 00:01:21.450 --> 00:01:24.780 Terry Lee is our current Sourtoe Master. 30 00:01:24.780 --> 00:01:28.780 Former ferryboat captain, so he's got his title of captain there. 31 00:01:28.780 --> 00:01:30.350 Fun guy, loves his toes. 32 00:01:30.350 --> 00:01:32.010 - I serve four nights a week. 33 00:01:32.010 --> 00:01:35.580 I've been doing this for five years, and I've seen all kinds of people. 34 00:01:35.580 --> 00:01:37.800 This toe is a hammertoe, which was deformed, 35 00:01:37.800 --> 00:01:40.400 and so it had to be removed. Who it was removed from, I don't know. 36 00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:44.260 The person is probably still alive, but for most cases, it's people that's dead. 37 00:01:44.260 --> 00:01:46.540 That's toe number 13. 38 00:01:46.540 --> 00:01:52.400 The other toes, you know, one was lost and a couple were stolen, returned... 39 00:01:52.400 --> 00:01:54.730 Some just get used up. 40 00:01:54.730 --> 00:01:57.230 Five were swallowed, one on purpose, 41 00:01:57.230 --> 00:01:59.200 and I don't even want to talk about that guy. 42 00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:00.730 They've gone through quite a life. 43 00:02:00.730 --> 00:02:03.085 - Full disclosure, I don't drink alcohol, 44 00:02:03.085 --> 00:02:04.690 so there's a little bit of special dispensation here. 45 00:02:04.690 --> 00:02:06.510 I still have the shot of liquor and the toe's still going in it, 46 00:02:06.510 --> 00:02:08.770 but I'm pouring off the liquor, 47 00:02:08.770 --> 00:02:10.810 and putting the toe in some ginger ale instead. 48 00:02:10.810 --> 00:02:13.160 I'm assured it's all within the rules. 49 00:02:13.160 --> 00:02:16.440 - It's safe, I mean, the health inspector gives us the okay to do it. 50 00:02:16.440 --> 00:02:18.900 It used to be that it could be done in anything 51 00:02:18.900 --> 00:02:24.420 from milk to pop to champagne to beer, but in more recent years, 52 00:02:24.420 --> 00:02:28.480 we're sticking to straight alcohol that's 40% or higher, 53 00:02:28.480 --> 00:02:31.800 and that's sort of our way of appeasing the health inspector 54 00:02:31.800 --> 00:02:34.680 and making sure this can continue on. 55 00:02:34.690 --> 00:02:37.140 Now that summer's coming on, it can get pretty busy. 56 00:02:37.140 --> 00:02:39.780 We can do upwards of 50, 60, 70 a night. 57 00:02:39.780 --> 00:02:46.740 - Up to now, we are at 77,888, but that's since June 11, 1995. 58 00:02:46.740 --> 00:02:52.660 This toe started in 1973, so the number could be 100,000. 59 00:02:52.660 --> 00:02:55.540 - I could wax philosophical for a while on how this 60 00:02:55.540 --> 00:02:57.130 isn't actually this disgusting. 61 00:02:57.130 --> 00:02:59.210 It's just like having a bit of beef jerky in there 62 00:02:59.210 --> 00:03:01.490 that's being used as a garnish. 63 00:03:01.490 --> 00:03:05.570 And actually, the owner of the beef jerky would be much less likely to consent 64 00:03:05.570 --> 00:03:06.870 than the owner of the toe. 65 00:03:06.870 --> 00:03:09.280 But, I know what you're here for. 66 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:10.280 Let's do it. 67 00:03:10.280 --> 00:03:11.113 - Okay. 68 00:03:12.070 --> 00:03:12.980 So Thomas. 69 00:03:12.980 --> 00:03:14.330 - Yes? - Are you ready? 70 00:03:14.330 --> 00:03:15.163 - I am ready. 71 00:03:15.163 --> 00:03:16.364 - You better be. 72 00:03:16.364 --> 00:03:18.900 Be warned, the toe must not enter the mouth 73 00:03:18.900 --> 00:03:21.880 or be bitten, chewed, or God forbid, swallowed, 74 00:03:21.880 --> 00:03:23.510 or it's a $2,500 fine. 75 00:03:23.510 --> 00:03:26.030 And so, in light of the above, you can drink it fast, 76 00:03:26.030 --> 00:03:27.880 you can drink it slow, but your lips 77 00:03:27.880 --> 00:03:29.990 must touch this gnarly toe. 78 00:03:29.990 --> 00:03:33.803 Just your lips, no teeth, no tongue, no tonsils. 79 00:03:36.338 --> 00:03:37.171 - Here goes. 80 00:03:37.171 --> 00:03:38.900 Alright, pour out the liquor. 81 00:03:40.130 --> 00:03:41.433 Pour out the toe. 82 00:03:42.860 --> 00:03:43.733 - There we go. 83 00:03:44.870 --> 00:03:45.703 - Cheers. 84 00:03:45.703 --> 00:03:46.963 - Make sure it touches the lips. 85 00:03:48.950 --> 00:03:49.783 And there it is. 86 00:03:51.713 --> 00:03:52.910 Well done, sir. 87 00:03:52.910 --> 00:03:54.140 - [shudders] 88 00:03:55.920 --> 00:03:58.330 - This is the certification of your folly, sir. 89 00:03:58.330 --> 00:03:59.880 - Thank you very much.