My feet in my mouth: the glorious history of the Canadian alcoholics club "Sour Finger"

In the Canadian town of Dawson, every dog knows this legend. In the winter of 1920, local bootlegger Lou Linken and his brother Otto were taking another batch of rum to the USA. A terrible snowstorm came, and the dogs who were carrying the sleigh were alarmed. Lu had to dismount to calm them down. While he was circling around the dogs, his feet got wet. But it was impossible to return: the brothers were afraid of a police chase. So the journey had to continue.

Soon Lou's thumb got stiff. There was nothing else to do but to chop it off to avoid gangrene. Otto's axe did not take long to wait. The brothers decided to keep the finger as a keepsake and put it in a flask of rum. If they only knew what adventures await the orphaned part of the body after their death…

Half a century after the events described, a certain Dick Stevenson was putting things in order in the shack where the Linken brothers used to live. I found a flask and, naturally, looked inside. And there is a withered toe from a human foot. Dick thought it best not to make hasty decisions and asked his comrades what to do with the finger. As a result of the discussion, a fresh idea was born: to establish a Sourtoe Cocktail Club on the basis of a local bar. Sourtoe Cocktail ("Sour Finger Cocktail") — that's what they called a glass of whiskey in which the detected finger splashes.

The club, founded in 1973, still exists today. Moreover, it has become the main attraction of Dawson. To date, the club has more than ten thousand members. The rules of entry are as follows (we quote):

1. Come to Sourdough Saloon (the name of the bar) and ask Captain River Rat (Captain River Rat). 2. Order a shot of whiskey. 3. Say the "Sour Finger Oath". 4. See how a dried finger is thrown into your whiskey. 5. Drink a cocktail.

Separately, it is noted that you can drink quickly, but you definitely need to touch your finger with your lips.

The certificate that is issued to new members of the club

In 1980, the club lost its symbol. Some local miner accidentally swallowed it while drinking the 13th cocktail in a row. The incident apparently occurred due to the fact that at that time it was considered normal among the visitors of this bar to first hold a finger over the mouth and then spit it out.

I had to look for a new finger. However, there were no special problems. The menu included an announcement that anyone who donates a big toe in favor of the club will be permanently inducted into the Sour Toe Hall of Fame. Victims of car accidents and people preparing for amputation were quickly found, who gladly agreed to support the club.