A donation that an expert in Yukon happily describes as disgusting has arrived in Whitehorse, destined to become the centrepiece of a bizarre cocktail.
The frostbitten big toe of former British Marine Nick Griffiths now belongs to the Downtown Hotel in Dawson City after Griffiths donated the digit to the Sourtoe Cocktail collection.
The Bolton, England resident originally planned to donate three toes amputated in March 2018 after he suffered frostbite during the Yukon Arctic Ultra, a 483-kilometre race that follows the Yukon Quest trail.
Griffiths was in a Whitehorse hospital when he learned about the Sourtoe Cocktail from a nurse who had visited Dawson City, and he joined the exclusive sourtoe club by drinking a shot of whisky with a mummified human toe in it.
Hotel general manager Adam Gerle says Griffithssa国际传媒檚 big toe arrived by mail from England last week, well preserved in medical grade alcohol.
Itsa国际传媒檚 now being mummified in rock salt in preparation for use in the cocktail, which has been served since 1973.
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The hotel couldnsa国际传媒檛 be happier with what Gerle calls the sa国际传媒渢oe-nation,sa国际传媒� saying in a statement that big toes are sa国际传媒渉ard to come by,sa国际传媒� and will help ensure the sourtoe tradition continues.
Terry Lee, Toe Master at the Downtown Hotel said it will take about six weeks to mummify the toe in salt before it can be added to a cocktail.
sa国际传媒淲e have been waiting for a new big toe for a while so this is exciting news indeed,sa国际传媒� Lee said in the statement.
sa国际传媒淭he big toes are the most disgusting and popular with the customers.sa国际传媒�
Griffithssa国际传媒檚 toes were amputated in England after he returned home from the 2018 race, but before the surgery he emailed the hotel and received an enthusiastic response to his inquiry about the donation.
sa国际传媒淭hey wrote back and said theysa国际传媒檇 really love to have them and I would forever by immortalized in their hall of fame if I did,sa国际传媒� Griffiths said at the time.
Gerle stands by that promise: sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 also extra special coming from Nick and we look forward to welcoming him to Dawson City where he can claim the rare distinction of shooting his own toe.sa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒淭he Downtown Hotel plans to bring Griffiths up later this summer after the toe is preserved and ready to go. They will foot the bill of course,sa国际传媒� the hotel statement said.
The Canadian Press
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