Legendary Canadian bartender's dying wish was for toes to garnish cocktails
The final wish of a Canadian man – that all of his toes be donated to be used in a notorious whiskey cocktail he invented – will soon become a reality.
Dick Stevenson, a bartender in Canada’s Yukon territory, died last week at the age of 89. In his will, Stevenson – known to patrons as Captain Dick – had requested all 10 of his toes be donated for use in the “sour toe” cocktail.
“Dad is a publicity hound and he just said he was going to be more famous after he’s dead,” Dixie Stevenson told the Canadian Press as she prepared to take her father’s ashes – and toes – to the Downtown Hotel in Dawson City, where the infamous drink was first served.
The drink consists of a mummified human toe at the bottom of a whiskey shot, and patrons at the hotel must let the tip of the toe touch their lips in order to qualify as having successfully consumed the cocktail.
While Stevenson initially believed no more than a few people would try his concoction, the Sourtoe Cocktail Club now has nearly 100,000 inductees.
A toe-shaped urn, containing Stevenson’s ashes, will go on display at the hotel.
In recent years, the bar has grappled with a spate of toe thefts. The hotel now slaps a fine of C$2,500 ($1,900) on any patron attempting to swipe a toe.
The hotel currently has six toes, including three donated by British endurance athlete Nick Griffiths, who recently lost his digits to frostbite during the Yukon Arctic ultramarathon.
Related: Briton mails severed toes to Canada for use in notorious cocktail
Griffiths met Stevenson in September, when he travelled to Dawson City to try the cocktail, which featured his own toe.
“He was a great guy. A real character,” said Griffith. “But even then, he was pretty adamant where his toes were going.”
The digits take roughly six months to cure in salt, meaning Stevenson’s digits will be ready to grace a shot of whiskey come late spring.
“They say, with the way they do things, my toes should last a lifetime,” said Griffiths. “But with Captain Dick’s donation, they’re looking at a huge new supply.”
