Donate a toe, win a trip to the Yukon

Dawson City’s famous Sourdough Saloon offers a way to put your foot in someone else’s mouth

Want a free trip to the Yukon? It won’t cost you an arm and a leg but it will cost you a big toe.

Tourism Yukon is seeking volunteers willing to donate their big toe to Dawson City’s Downtown Hotel so that the legendary Sourtoe Cocktail can live on.

The winning volunteer will have their toe immortalized post mortem in the cocktail and in exchange get a free trip for two to visit the Yukon pre mortem.

“The Sourtoe Cocktail is a one-of-a-kind experience that you can only get in Dawson City, Yukon,” said Paul Robitaille, marketing manager for the Klondike Visitors Association.

“The toe is something that locals hold near and dear to their hearts and love sharing with visitors from all over the world.”

The cocktail, offered at the hotel’s Sourdough Saloon, requires the drinker to swig a shot of whiskey containing a mummified human toe inside the glass. The drinker’s lips must touch the toe in order to be initiated into a club and issued a certificate. The toe is not to be swallowed.

There are an estimated 70,000 people who have been bold enough to drink with the Dawson City toe.

At any given time, there are usually multiple toes in rotation though following last week’s theft, the bar is now seeking backups.

Last weekend, a tourist who visited the hotel bar had bragged about and then followed through with stealing the human toe inside the infamous cocktail.

He later mailed the toe back and apologized, after the hotel and police had put out information seeking the toe’s return.

“We’re delighted the toe has been returned and this contest will help ensure the tradition of the legendary Sourtoe Cocktail will continue for many years to come,” said Adam Gerle, the Downtown Hotel manager.

There is a $2,500 fine for stealing or damaging the toe.

Those hoping to enter the contest will need to share a photo of their to-be-donated-after-death toe on Instagram and tag @travelyukon and include the hashtag #makeatoenation.

The contest is open until July 7 and the winner will be announced via social media on July 10.

— DARREN CALABRESE/NATIONAL POST FILES To become an official member of the Sourtoe club at the Sourdough Saloon, drinkers must allow the mummified toe to touch their lips.