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"This classic and underrated cocktail is one of the few whiskey (or whisky) drinks to specify scotch.."

How to make ...

Blood & Sand

The Blood & Sand is a whiskey cocktail that has been left behind in the recent cocktail resurgence and there is no real reason why that should be, it can stand up with the best of the classics.

Method

Chill your Martini glass in the freezer, or fill it with ice.

Take your Boston glass or small tin and, using your jigger to measure, add the Scotch, sweet vermouth and cherry liqueur to the shaker.

Using your Mexican elbow or orange juicer and your jigger to measure, squeeze 25ml of fresh orange juice and add it to the shaker.

Fill your shaker with cubed ice and seal with your Boston tin or lid and shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds, or until your tin is very cold.

Remove your glass from the freezer or empty of ice if necessary.

Using your Hawthorne strainer and your fine strainer, double strain your cocktail into your chilled Martini glass.

Garnish with a twist of orange peel.

Serve and enjoy!

Equipment

Shaker
Jigger/Measure
Hawthorne Strainer
Fine Strainer
Large Mexican Elbow or Orange Juicer
Cubed Ice

History

The cocktail first appeared in print in Harry Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book and, like so many drinks in the history of cocktails, aside from this nothing else is known. We sadly don’t know who made it or in which venue it was made.

This hasn’t stopped the speculation, however. Some sources claim that the cocktail was created in London and named after Rodolph Valentino’s 1922 Bull Fighting movie: Blood & Sand. The blood was ably represented by the Cherry Heering and the sand would be the orange juice. The drink has had a hard time remaining in vogue, with many people believing the cocktail to be too muddy to be easy on the eye, but the trick is to use juice freshly squeezed and to shake as hard as possible.

This cocktail was allegedly created in London and named after Rodolph Valentino’s 1922 Bull Fighting movie: Blood & Sand. The blood represented by the Cherry Heering and the sand would be the Orange juice.

Allergens
Contains sulphites
Ingredients

25ml Scotch Whisky

25ml Sweet Vermouth

25ml Cherry Liqueur

25ml Orange Juice

Orange Twist to Garnish

Times:

Prep: 2 Minutes

Make: 30 Seconds

Total: 2 Minutes and 30 Seconds

Calories:

202 Calories

Servings:

Serves 1

Method

Chill your Martini glass in the freezer, or fill it with ice.

Take your Boston glass or small tin and, using your jigger to measure, add the Scotch, sweet vermouth and cherry liqueur to the shaker.

Using your Mexican elbow or orange juicer and your jigger to measure, squeeze 25ml of fresh orange juice and add it to the shaker.

Fill your shaker with cubed ice and seal with your Boston tin or lid and shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds, or until your tin is very cold.

Remove your glass from the freezer or empty of ice if necessary.

Using your Hawthorne strainer and your fine strainer, double strain your cocktail into your chilled Martini glass.

Garnish with a twist of orange peel.

Serve and enjoy!

Equipment

Shaker
Jigger/Measure
Hawthorne Strainer
Fine Strainer
Large Mexican Elbow or Orange Juicer
Cubed Ice

History

The cocktail first appeared in print in Harry Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book and, like so many drinks in the history of cocktails, aside from this nothing else is known. We sadly don’t know who made it or in which venue it was made.

This hasn’t stopped the speculation, however. Some sources claim that the cocktail was created in London and named after Rodolph Valentino’s 1922 Bull Fighting movie: Blood & Sand. The blood was ably represented by the Cherry Heering and the sand would be the orange juice. The drink has had a hard time remaining in vogue, with many people believing the cocktail to be too muddy to be easy on the eye, but the trick is to use juice freshly squeezed and to shake as hard as possible.

This cocktail was allegedly created in London and named after Rodolph Valentino’s 1922 Bull Fighting movie: Blood & Sand. The blood represented by the Cherry Heering and the sand would be the Orange juice.

Allergens
Contains sulphites
Recommended

This classic and underrated cocktail is one of the few whiskey (or whisky) drinks to specify scotch and for those planning a bar hire centred around winter-warming cocktails or classic whiskey drinks, this cocktail is a great addition.

The Blood & Sand is an old classic, featured in The Savoy Cocktail Book, the drink is an equal parts mixture of scotch whisky, cherry liqueur, orange juice and sweet vermouth. The smoky richness of the scotch is mellowed beautifully by the fruity unctuousness of the cherry liqueur and sweet vermouth and the sweet tang of fresh orange juice. This is a pretty strong cocktail both in terms of flavour and alcohol content so if you’re planning on including it you may want some lower alcohol options to help balance out your menu.

Scotch is not the most obvious choice as a cocktail spirit with most whisky drinks favouring its American cousin, bourbon. For those eager to showcase a range of whisky cocktails the Blood & Sand is a great way to show the versatility of this sainted spirit. Whisky is surprisingly adaptable and if you want feature other whisky drinks on your menu some good options might be a classic Mint Julep—a long refreshing, minty drink that’s not too boozy, or even a Bourbon Espresso Martini, a rich and caramel-y twist on the ever-popular classic.

The Blood & Sand may not be to everyone’s tastes, if you’re looking to diversify and feature some lighter, less divisive spirits in your cocktail menu, gin drinks are always popular with a crowd and versatile enough to cover all bases. Think about including a gin classic like a Gin Rickey or an Elderflower Julep for a lighter more fruity choice.

If you’re planning to include the Blood & Sand on your cocktail menu and want to know more about what drinks could be good to serve alongside it, be sure to speak to your event organiser about your options, or check out some other whisky based, classic and short-style cocktails from our list.

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