Blood & Sand

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Cocktail History

The Blood & Sand is a classic cocktail that was created by Harry Craddock in the 1920s and was first published in his book The Savoy Cocktail Book. Unlike many classic cocktails, this one, which is named for a 1922 film about a Spanish matador, uses Scotch as a base, and it has a surprisingly sweet flavor profile thanks to cherry liqueur, sweet vermouth, and citrus juice.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Scotch: This is a type of whisky made in Scotland with malted barley or grains and yeast, which are distilled and then aged in wooden barrels to develop a smoky, complex flavor.

Cherry Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with cherries, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a rich, fruity flavor.

Sweet Vermouth: This is a type of wine made with red grapes and a blend of herbs and botanicals, which are fermented and then fortified with a neutral spirit and sweetened to develop a rich, grape flavor.

Orange Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe oranges that has a light, sweet citrus flavor and pale orange color.

Brandied Cherry: This is a type of stone fruit made by soaking maraschino cherries in brandy, water, and spices to make a rich, fruity syrup.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. I used one from the I-MART Stainless Steel Cocktail Pick Set.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Red-brown color

• Aroma: Faint cherry and Scotch

• Taste: Light orange flavor balanced with sweet cherry, oak, and vanilla

• Finish: Slightly smoky whisky notes

Kendall’s Take: “I don’t know how else to describe the Blood & Sand other than that, not in taste but in the feeling of surprise and delight you feel trying it, it reminds me of dark chocolate. It’s slightly sweet notes rounded out by the cherry and Scotch—these flavors are all balanced so well, and I can’t really explain why. I didn’t expect to enjoy this cocktail at all because I don’t usually like Scotch, but this recipe definitely opened my eyes to how versatile it can be.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.