Bloodhound No. 1
Muddle; Shake ∙ 4 min ∙ 25% ABV ∙
The Bloodhound No. 1 is a muddled gin cocktail built on gin, dry and sweet vermouth, and fresh raspberries, finished with a touch of maraschino liqueur. Muddled raspberry gives a soft, fruity crush against the dry snap of gin and vermouth, with a faint almond sweetness lingering on the finish — a fitting after-dinner pour.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- In the base of the shaker, muddle: Fresh raspberries 3 pcs
- Add the remaining ingredients: London dry gin 45 mlDry vermouth 25 mlRosso vermouth 25 mlMaraschino liqueur 5 ml
- Shake with ice
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with raspberries on a skewer
Tips
- Muddle the 3 raspberries gently in the shaker first to release juice without pulverizing the seeds, which turns the drink bitter and gritty.
- Double-strain through a fine mesh sieve after shaking to catch raspberry seeds and pulp, giving a clean texture in the coupe glass.
- Shake hard with fresh ice for a full 12-15 seconds since the equal dry and rosso vermouth pours need thorough dilution and chilling to balance the gin.
- Measure the maraschino liqueur precisely since even a small overpour beyond the 5 ml will make the drink cloyingly sweet against the two vermouths.
History
The Bloodhound traces back to the early twentieth century as a fruit-and-vermouth variation on the dry martini. A simple version, made with crushed strawberries, gin, and both French and Italian vermouth, appears in William Boothby's 1907 World's Drinks and How to Mix Them, and a similar strawberry recipe was published a decade later in Tom Bullock's 1917 The Ideal Bartender. In 1922, Robert Vermiere's Cocktails: How to Mix Them gave a variant built with raspberries and maraschino liqueur in place of the strawberries, the version now known as the Bloodhound No. 1. That same year, Harry MacElhone's Mixing Cocktails credited the drink's introduction to Europe to William Angus Drogo Montagu, the Duke of Manchester, who is said to have brought it across the Atlantic during Prohibition, after which it was popularized at Ciro's Club in London and later included, in its strawberry form, in Harry Craddock's 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book. Sources note that the exact origin of the drink and the reason for its name remain unconfirmed, though its deep red color from the muddled berries is often cited as the likely inspiration.
FAQ
What is a Bloodhound drink?
The Bloodhound is a gin cocktail made with both dry and sweet vermouth and muddled fresh raspberries, shaken and served up. This version adds a touch of maraschino liqueur alongside the classic base, giving the fruit a faint almond-sweet edge.
What is a Bloodhound mixed with?
It is mixed with London dry gin, dry vermouth, sweet (rosso) vermouth, and fresh raspberries, muddled and shaken together. A small amount of maraschino liqueur is also included in this build, rounding out the raspberry note.
What is in a Bloodhound No. 1?
Gin, dry vermouth, sweet vermouth, fresh raspberries, and a touch of maraschino liqueur, muddled and shaken, then served up in a coupe with a raspberry garnish.
Is a Bloodhound No. 1 shaken or stirred?
Shaken. The muddled raspberries need the vigorous agitation of a shake to release their juice and blend evenly with the gin and vermouth; stirring would leave the fruit unincorporated.
What glass is a Bloodhound No. 1 served in?
A coupe glass, served up and garnished with a raspberry.
How is a Bloodhound different from a Greyhound?
Despite the similar name, a Greyhound is an unrelated highball made of vodka and grapefruit juice, while the Bloodhound is a shaken gin cocktail built on vermouth and muddled raspberries.
