Blood and Sand
Scotch whisky, cherry liqueur, sweet vermouth and orange juice shaken into a silky, full-bodied classic.
Ingredients
- Blended Scotch45 ml
- Cherry liqueure.g. Cherry Heering22.5 ml
- Sweet vermouth22.5 ml
- Orange juice, freshly squeezed22.5 ml
- Orange, for garnish, preferably flamed (optional)1 twist
Method
- Fill a shaker with ice cubes.
- Add the Scotch whisky, cherry liqueur, sweet vermouth and freshly squeezed orange juice.
- Shake hard for 20–30 seconds, until the shaker is ice-cold on the outside.
- Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
- Express an orange peel over the drink to release its aromatic oils, then drop it in as a garnish.
Savoy Cocktail Book, 1930
About this drink
Blood and Sand first appeared in The Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930 and took its name from the 1922 Rudolph Valentino film. It is one of the few classics built on Scotch whisky, balancing the whisky’s smoke with cherry liqueur’s sweetness, vermouth’s spicy depth and orange’s freshness. The modern version increases the whisky slightly, making it more spirit-forward than the original equal-parts recipe.
