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All cocktails Blood and Sand

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Blood and Sand

Anytime · Aperitivo/aperitif · Classic/vintage

4.2 303 ratings

Ingredients

3/4 oz Scotch whisky
1/6 oz Peated malt whisky
3/4 oz Cherry brandy
3/4 oz Rosso/sweet vermouth
1 oz Orange juice

How to make

Serve in a coupe glass

Prepare

  1. 1 Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
  2. 2 Prepare garnish of orange zest twist and skewered Luxardo Maraschino Cherry.

Method

  1. 3 SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
  2. 4 FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish

  1. 5 EXPRESS orange zest twist over cocktail and discard.
  2. 6 Garnish with skewered maraschino cherry.

Flavour profile

14.5% alc./vol. · 1.1 standard drinks · 189 calories

History

The accepted classic Blood & Sand recipe, found in the 1930 edition of The Savoy Cocktail Book, uses equal parts scotch, cherry brandy, sweet vermouth, and orange juice. However, this proportion yields a drink that is somewhat too sweet for dedicated scotch enthusiasts. By slightly increasing the amounts of scotch and orange juice, a drier and fresher cocktail is achieved with the following formula.

The Blood & Sand, arguably the most famous Scotch whisky cocktail, was established in 1922. Its name derives from the 1922 bullfighter film starring Rudolph Valentino, which in turn was based on the 1909 Spanish novel Sangre y arena (Blood and Sand) by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez and the play by Thomas Cushing. The silent film achieved considerable commercial success, recounting the tale of Juan Gallardo (Valentino), a humble village boy who rises to prominence as one of Spain's most celebrated matadors. Despite marrying his devoted childhood sweetheart, Carmen, his newfound wealth and fame lead him to an affair with a rich widow. His attempt to end the relationship provokes his lover to reveal their dalliance to his wife. Overcome with remorse and despair, he grows careless in the bullring and meets his end in a bullfight. In a classic Hollywood twist, a reconciliation with his wife, Carmen, occurs moments before his demise, leaving her devastated. The originator of the cocktail remains unknown, but it was first documented in Harry Craddock's 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book. The deep amber-red hue of the cherry brandy is thought to symbolize blood, while the orange juice represents the arena's sand.