Down the Hatch: Here’s a Classic Cocktail Based on Scotch, Says Mixologist Rick Turner

<p class=”MsoNormal”>There are very few classic cocktails that use Scotch whiskey as the base spirit.

Right off the bat, drinks like the Rob Roy, the Rusty Nail, and the Robbie Burns come to mind, but there’s one more that seems to be popping up everywhere I turn these days: the Blood and Sand.

The Blood and Sand is a classic, a motley crew of ingredients that the Wall Street Journal called “strange but delicious.”

It was created and named in honor of the heartthrob actor Rudolph Valentino and his role in the 1922 movie Blood and Sand. (I prefer the later version starring Tyrone Power, Rita Hayworth, and Anthony Quinn,  a remake from 1941.)

You might be thrown for a loop by one of the ingredients, cherry herring, but don’t be alarmed. Most people have never heard of it either. It is a Danish cherry liqueur. Buying a bottle will only set you back about $17.00 and it is an essential ingredient in a Singapore Sling and a couple of other cocktails, including the Blood and Sand.

The Blood and Sand is one drink that you shouldn’t pass judgment on until you’ve tasted it once or twice and felt the melee of flavors harmonize like a symphony.

¾ oz blended Scotch

¾ oz cherry herring

¾ oz sweet vermouth

¾ oz fresh orange juice

Place all of the ingredients into a mixing tin and shake vigorously and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry or an orange twist.

Rick Turner is a Certified Specialist in Spirits  (Society of Wine Educators) and a Certified Sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers). He writes about cocktails for EscapeHatchDallas. In his spare time, Turner is the general manager of Pappas Bros. Steakhouse in Dallas.