Best Blood And Sand Cocktail Recipes

If you have ever partaken in Scotch-based cocktails, chances are you have at least heard of if not tried a Blood and Sand. The Blood and Sand cocktail gets its name from the 1922 bullfighter movie of the same name; it was originally created in London to have equal parts Scotch, cherry liqueur, orange juice, and sweet vermouth. The red cherry brandy is said to represent the “blood” while the orange juice represents the “sand” of its namesake. Although it can be a delicious drink, an inexperienced bartender can easily create a Blood and Sand that tastes more like alcoholic orange juice than a fully realized cocktail. With this in mind, drinkmasters have spent years tweaking the original recipe to find the perfect Blood and Sand.

If you are looking for a delicious cocktail that is the perfect blend of smoky and sweet, look no further. We have done the research to find the absolute best Blood and Sand recipes that are sure to wow you and any friends you decide to share with. A word of advice when purchasing ingredients for your Blood and Sand: make sure your Scotch has a strong smoky flavor. Also, be advised that you will need to vigorously shake your cocktail to achieve an acceptable froth: some bartenders advise if you don’t sweat while making your Blood and Sand, you aren’t making it correctly! With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few of the best Blood and Sand cocktail recipes available.

Traditional Blood and Sand

Although there are many variants for the basic Blood and Sand recipe, we believe that this is one of the best there is. We strongly recommend you use fresh-squeezed orange juice as it best compliments the smoky Scotch and brings the right amount of sweet citrus flavors. This cocktail is fairly simple to create, so gather a few Scotch lovers one evening and whip up a few of these to impress. To create this drink, you will need:

  • .75 oz Scotch
  • .75 oz cherry brandy
  • .75 oz sweet vermouth
  • .75 oz orange juice
  • Orange peel
  1. Begin by filling a cocktail shaker with ice
  2. Add the scotch, brandy, vermouth, and orange juice into your shaker
  3. Shake vigorously for at least 10 seconds or until you have created a decent froth
  4. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass
  5. Garnish with an orange peel, then serve and enjoy

Arena y Sangre

This version of the Blood and Sand comes to use from California and replaces traditional Scotch with Mezcal. To really bring the drink together, you will need to flame your own orange zest (you can do this by using a torch on fresh orange zest.) It is a delicious, well-balanced Blood and Sand recipe that really plays up strong citrus flavors. To create this drink, you will need:

  • 5 oz Mezcal
  • 1 oz orange Juice
  • .75 oz sour cherry wine
  • .5 oz cherry brandy
  • .25 oz lemon juice
  • 2 dashes orange bitters
  • Flamed orange zest
  1. Begin by adding Mezcal, orange juice, wine, brandy, lemon juice, and bitters to a cocktail shaker
  2. Shake vigorously
  3. Add orange zest to a coupe glass
  4. Double strain cocktail shaker into coupe, then serve and enjoy

 Blood and Sand Redux

This version of the traditional Blood and Sand seeks to give the cocktail a tremendously citrusy boost. It does so by using orange-infused Scotch, which you should be able to find at your local liquor store or create on your own by infusing 4 ounces of orange zest and 6 cups of Scotch over 4 days. If you really love citrus, you’ll want to give this recipe a go. To create this drink, you will need:

  • 1 oz orange-infused Scotch
  • .75 oz sweet vermouth
  • .75 oz cherry brandy
  • .25 oz orange juice
  • Orange peel
  1. Begin by filling a cocktail shaker with ice
  2. Add Scotch, vermouth, brandy, and orange juice to shaker
  3. Shake vigorously
  4. Strain into a chilled coupe
  5. Garnish with an orange peel, then serve and enjoy

Blood Oranges in the Sand

If you are looking to create a visually stunning cocktail to spook your friends, try this take on the Blood and Sand. It replaces traditional orange juice with blood orange juice, creating an even richer blood-like appearance. The reduced acidity is also pleasing to those who may find a traditional Blood and Sand too strong. To create this drink, you will need:

  • .5 oz Scotch
  • .5 oz cherry brandy
  • .5 oz sweet vermouth
  • .5 oz blood orange juice
  • Blood orange peel
  1. Begin by pouring scotch, brandy, vermouth, and blood orange juice into a cocktail shaker
  2. Shake vigorously until you have crafted a decent froth
  3. Strain into a glass
  4. Garnish with a blood orange peel, then serve and enjoy

Oaxacan Blood and Sand

Another great variant of the Blood and Sand that uses blood oranges instead of the traditional orange, this recipe has rich smoky flavors. It also swaps out the Scotch for Mezcal, which pairs stunningly with the blood orange. We strongly urge you to flame the garnish peel as well! To create this drink, you will need:

  • 2 oz Mezcal
  • 1 oz blood orange juice
  • .5 oz cherry brandy
  • .5 oz sweet vermouth
  • Flamed blood orange peel
  1. Begin by filling a cocktail shaker with ice
  2. Pour Mezcal, blood orange juice, brandy, and vermouth into cocktail shaker
  3. Shake vigorously
  4. Strain into coupe
  5. Garnish with flamed blood orange peel, then serve and enjoy

Is your mouth watering yet for a delicious smoky, sweet Blood and Sand? We know that all of the recipes above are the best of the best when it comes to this traditional cocktail. Again, we strongly urge you to select smoky Scotch (or Mezcal!) if looking for the best possible results. You can also add in extra smoky flavor by grilling the oranges and blood oranges before freshly juicing them to create a cocktail. We suggest trying one of each of the recipes above to discover which one takes the cake for you and whoever you choose to share your Blood and Sand with!