May 19-Blood and Sand

This is another cocktail I learned early on in my career, it’s called the Blood and Sand and with such a provocative name and story behind this drink you know it’ll be good. But I don’t make it a lot since people all seem to have some stigma against Scotch. Even if they enjoy it they will often say “I get angry on scotch”, which I understand to an extent since I see that pattern, but I don’t get why it happens. Another thing working against this cocktail is that people more often than not order Scotch on its own neat or on ice depending on how nice the scotch is. I say that since I would never add ice to something like Johnnie Blue or something like that.Another thing not working for this cocktail’s favour is the other big Scotch cocktail being way more popular for all the right reasons, this being the Penicillin. Way more people have heard of that cocktail and it’s become almost too popular for its own good, even that won’t stop people from ordering it at every bar.

Back to the Blood and Sand, let’s talk of its history. This is yet another cocktail no one knows the original bartender of but it was first widely seen in Harry Craddock’s Savoy Cocktail Book. We have talked about the Savoy Hotel in London quite a bit and this won’t be the last you hear of it I promise. This cocktail is named after a movie called Blood and Sand directed by Rudolph Valentino. This silent movie was based off the Spanish book Sangre y Arenan (which translates to Blood and Sand as well) and the play of the same name by Thomas Cushing. The film tells a story of a young village boy who becomes one of Spain’s greatest matadors. He also marries his childhood sweetheart named Carmen but is seduced by a widow who he has an affair with. He is guilty all the way through but when he ends it the widow reveals the truth to his wife. Obviously distraut he gets distracted in the arena and dies bullfighting with only just enough time to reconcile with Carmen as his sould leaves his body.

Wow what a story and what a cocktail to tell it. The sand part comes from the orange juice habing a similar colour and the blood comes from Cherry Heering. It is also common to serve this cocktail with a float of Peated single malt Scotch from the Islay region of Scotland, somewhat similarly to the Penicillin. It really is a shame that my judge for today doesn’t like Scotch.

Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qvH03sEfkLUrQCHAPbxA3pvQLXK2EdG8k00_HBofCZI/edit?tab=t.0