Peated Blood and Sand
Shake ∙ Coupe glass ∙ 3 min ∙ 17.2% ABV ∙
The Peated Blood and Sand is a smoky riff on the 1920s Scotch sour, adding a measure of peated single malt to blended whisky, cherry liqueur, sweet vermouth, and orange juice. Smoke curls over dark cherry and orange, with sweet vermouth rounding the edges into a frothy, faintly savory sip — a slow-drinking pre-dinner or after-dinner pour.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Blended Scotch whisky 30 mlCherry liqueur 20 mlRosso vermouth 20 mlPeated single malt whisky 5 mlOrange juice 30 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled coupe glass
- Express an orange twist over the cocktail and discard
- Garnish with a maraschino cherry
Tips
- Use fresh-squeezed orange juice — day-old or from-concentrate juice kills the froth that defines a well-made Blood and Sand.
- Shake hard until your arms tire; vigorous shaking thins the juice's viscosity and aerates the drink into a proper foam.
- Keep the peated malt light — a small pour adds smoke without swamping the cherry and vermouth.
- Express an orange twist over the surface to pop the top bubbles and layer citrus oils across the foam.
History
The Blood and Sand dates to the 1920s, an equal-parts combination of Scotch, cherry liqueur, sweet vermouth, and orange juice widely tied to the 1922 Rudolph Valentino bullfighting film of the same name. It has long been a divisive classic, but champions remain: bartender TJ Vytlacil built a St. Louis cocktail club named Blood & Sand around it, where, he told Punch in 2022, it outsold every other drink across the five years he ran the business. The peated version is a modern variation that layers a measure of smoky single malt over the base — the smoke echoing the "blood and sand" imagery — while keeping the original four-part framework intact.
FAQ
What is in a Peated Blood and Sand?
Blended Scotch whisky, cherry liqueur, rosso (sweet) vermouth, and orange juice, plus a small optional measure of peated single malt whisky for smoke. It is shaken with ice and served up in a coupe, garnished with an orange twist and a maraschino cherry.
What kind of Scotch is best in a Blood and Sand?
A blended Scotch is the traditional base, and a mildly peated whisky works well. To turn it into a Peated Blood and Sand, add a small pour of a smoky single malt — a big peat monster if you want it bold, or just a splash for a subtler smoke.
Is a Blood and Sand shaken or stirred?
Shaken. The orange juice needs vigorous shaking to aerate into the frothy head that marks a well-made Blood and Sand; stirring leaves it flat and cloyingly sweet.
What glass is a Blood and Sand served in?
A coupe glass, served up without ice. This version is garnished with an orange twist and a maraschino cherry to echo the drink's cherry and citrus components.
How is a Peated Blood and Sand different from the classic?
The classic Blood and Sand is an equal-parts mix of Scotch, cherry liqueur, sweet vermouth, and orange juice. The peated version adds a small measure of smoky single malt whisky on top of that framework, pushing the drink toward smoke and depth.
