Man in Yukon swallows human toe

Tuesday, August 27, 2013, 3:16 PM -

For most people, finding a human toe in your drink would be revolting. But not for one man, who proudly swallowed a toe Aug. 24, 2013, at the Downtown Hotel in Dawson City, Yukon. 

Strangely enough, the toe in his drink was no accident. The hotel is famous for their Sourtoe Cocktail, which involves placing a dehydrated human toe in a shot of Yukon Gold whiskey. In staying with tradition, the drinker must have the toe touch their lips. 

This tradition started in 1973 when a man by the name of Captain Dick found a preserved toe in a jar and started the custom. The Downtown Hotel offers certificates to anyone who does the shot as long as the toe touches their lips. The video attached shows one person taking part in the custom. 

What's also odd is that this is not the first person to have swallowed the toe. Eight toes have been consumed or destroyed over the years but each time a replacement toe has been found. The bartender that sold the drink to the man believes that this is the first time that someone has swallowed the toe deliberately. He also notes that the tradition will continue since the bar has a backup toe. Apparently, the replacement toes are ones that have been donated to the bar. 

But there is a price to pay for drinking the shot. Patrons who partake in the Sourtoe Cocktail must pay a fine of $500, which has since been raised to $2,500. 

The man who swallowed the toe was said to have drank the shot and slammed $500 on the table before leaving the bar. The man is allegedly from the United States and had been living in Dawson for the summer. He is also said to have used his rent deposit money just to do this. 

While this is not something many people would put on their bucket list, over 60,000 people have paid to drink the shot. Would you do the shot? Tell us in the comments if this is something you would try.