How The Blood And Sand Cocktail Got Its Name

From the classic Old-Fashioned to the Sazerac and the Manhattan, whiskey looms large in the world of mixology — and it's often U.S.-centric. Sure, an Irish coffee should probably use Irish whiskey (but is that really a cocktail or a mixed drink?), and you can use just about any style you'd like in a whiskey sour. But when it comes to Scotch whiskey, it's not only Rob Roys or Penicillins — don't forget about the Blood and Sand.

Like much of cocktail history, the story behind the Blood and Sand cocktail is a bit dubious, but it seems to have gotten its name from the 1922 silent film, "Blood and Sand," starring the incredibly popular actor and sex symbol Rudolph Valentino. The drink is said to have been influenced by the film, in which Valentino plays a bullfighter. The original creator of the drink is unknown, but we can trace a recipe back as far as Harry Craddock's "The Savoy Cocktail Book" from 1930, although it was likely simply added to the book and not created by Craddock himself.

A Blood and Sand cocktail is made with equal parts Scotch whiskey, Heering Cherry Liqueur, sweet vermouth, and orange juice. The dark red Heering and red-auburn vermouth represent the blood and the orange juice, the sand. When it comes to cocktails, Scotch can be a bit polarizing because of the strong, peaty, smoky flavor. But in a Blood and Sand, the Scotch is smoothed over with the fruit-forward notes of cherry and orange, and the vermouth adds a bite that goes head-to-head with the Scotch for a bitter, acidic kick.

The ingredients are shaken with ice and poured into a martini glass. The end result covers all the bases, balancing the Scotch, out rather than merely piling on flavor. It's also often garnished with an orange peel.

For another simple Scotch whiskey cocktail wrapped in Hollywood lore, try the Rat Pack's signature cocktail, the Rusty Nail. It's simple to make: two parts Scotch and one part Drambuie. The Drambuie's honey and herbal undertones compliment the palate-heavy Scotch for a drink that's stiff but sweet and refreshing, just like a Blood and Sand.