Toe-tally Creepy: 3D Printed Sourtoe for Decoration or Your Cocktail

Imagine lifting a glass, only to find a real human toe inside. No, this isn’t a scene from a horror movie—it’s the infamous Sourtoe Cocktail, a strange yet celebrated tradition hailing from Dawson City, Yukon.

The Sourtoe Cocktail began in 1973 at the Sourdough Saloon, where brave souls were challenged to drink a cocktail garnished with a preserved human toe. The only rule? "You can drink it fast, you can drink it slow, but your lips have gotta touch the toe." Over the years, it became a legendary rite of passage for adventurous spirits seeking a unique thrill.

Inspired by this eerie yet iconic tradition, I created a hyper-realistic 3D-printed toe for Halloween! Whether as a spooky decoration or a bizarre addition to your own Halloween cocktail, this prop captures the essence of the Sourtoe Cocktail—guaranteed to give your guests a chilling story they’ll never forget.

Hardware

1. 3D Printer

Software

1. ZBrush or similar software, for creating your own unique realistic model
2. Onshape or similar software, for creating decorative accessories for the toe

Material

1. (Optional) If you do want to make a cocktail with the toe, consider food-grade printing materials!

If it's hard for you to imagine the toe, find yourself images from the internet first for reference. Here I use ZBrush, but similar softwares are also fine.

Start with a cylinder and create a toe-like shape. For a thumb, The width and thickness could be between 1.5 cm and 2 cm, and the length could be between 3 cm and 4 cm. Depending on the reference image you use, you may want to add slight bends accordingly.

With the Standard, ClayBuildup, and Alpha brushes, add skin textures and imperfections, like wrinkles and calluses. Ensure to add more wrinkles than a healthy toe, as we’re aiming for a sourtoe appearance!

If you do want to use your sourtoe as hanging ornaments, add a hook to the section.

Done! Move on to Step 2 for a skeleton-like decorative accessories. Or Step 3 to print!

Note: Attached are two sourtoes I created. Feel free to use them.

Don't want the sourtoe to sit inside the drawer gathering dust when there's no friend around to enjoy the cocktail? I’ve got you covered! Here, I’m using Onshape to create a cute skeleton to team up with the scary sourtoe. Again, similar softwares can work as well.

For Onshape, you can load an image to sketch on as reference. Or even better, use your imagination to draw your unique one.

I separate the sketch into pieces, including the head, trunk, upper arms, lower arms, upper legs, lower legs, etc. Remember to reserve places for the hooks!

Note: Attached is the skeleton I created. Feel free to use it.

This step is quite simple. Slice the models and feed them into the 3D printing machines, then let the machines do the work.

Combine all the accessories together using rings, or place the sourtoe inside the cocktail.

Once that’s done, you’re all set and ready to surprise your friends!