The Blood and Sand cocktail is a whisky-based cocktail named after Rudolf Valentino’s bullfighter movie from 1922.
Blood and Sand Cocktail – Photo © Cocktails & Bars
One of the old time classic whisky cocktails, the Blood and Sand cocktail is named after a film of the same name starring Rudolph Valentino. The movie is based on a Spanish novel, Sangre y Arena and tells the story of a Spanish bullfighter, his rise to fame and a tragic love affair.
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The recipe is said to have first appeared in Harry Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book which dates back to the 1930’s:
1/4 Orange Juice
1/4 Scotch Whisky
1/4 Cherry Brandy
1/4 Italian Vermouth
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass
The cocktail is simple enough to prepare using whisky, (a blend or a single malt), Cherry Heering, sweet vermouth and the juice of blood oranges if you can get them. Always use freshly-squeezed orange juice to give the drink a fresh citrus vibrancy.
With whisky as a base, the flavour profile combines sweetness with citrus along with subtle cherry notes from the Cherry Heering liqueur and makes the cocktail a fine sipper.
Blood and Sand Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
- 30 ml whisky (blended or single malt)
- 25 ml Cherry Heering Liqueur
- 25 ml sweet vermouth
- 30 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
Glassware: coupe or cocktail glass
Garnish: orange peel or Maraschino cherry
Method
In a shaker, combine ingredients with ice and shake well for 10 seconds. Double strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a Maraschino cherry or flamed orange peel.
First published 11 Dec 2015. Updated 11 August 2022.
