Blood and Sand recipe
Scotch, cherry, orange, and vermouth — equal parts madness that somehow works.
Method: Shake ·
Glass: Coupe glass ·
Time: 3 min ·
Difficulty: Intermediate ·
Family: The Sidecar Family
Ingredients
- 0.75 oz Blended Scotch
- 0.75 oz Cherry Heering
- 0.75 oz Sweet Vermouth
- 0.75 oz Fresh Orange Juice
How to make a Blood and Sand
- Add scotch, Cherry Heering, sweet vermouth, and orange juice to a shaker with ice.
- Shake for 12-15 seconds.
- Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
- Garnish with a flamed orange peel.
Garnish
Flamed orange peel.
Pro tip
Use freshly squeezed orange juice — the acidity is crucial for balance. The equal-parts formula means every ingredient pulls its weight. A blended scotch like Famous Grouse works better than a peaty single malt here.
History of the Blood and Sand
Named after the 1922 Rudolph Valentino bullfighting film. First published in Harry Craddock's Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930. The combination of scotch with fruit flavors was unusual for its time and remains distinctive today.
Flavour profile
Fruity, Smoky, Sweet, Complex
Variations
- Blood and Sand 2.0 — Use mezcal instead of scotch for more smoke
- Improved Blood and Sand — Reduce Cherry Heering, add Islay scotch float
- Blood and Thunder — Add a dash of Angostura bitters
Practise making the Blood and Sand in the free Virtual Bar game.