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Blood and Sand

No, it's not a nazi chant, it's a Scotch cocktail for old men like me...




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I know my scotch drinking friends consider this heresy, but I’m always trying to find new things to do with sweet vermouth, and anything that includes and old long forgotten “granny” liqueur like Cherry Heering sounds worth a try. It’s definitely a sweet combination, and if you don’t really like sweet, you could double the scotch and/or ease up on the other ingredients. I’ve found that Heering, although it sort of tastes like cough syrup, is a pretty complex flavor. It’s sort of like Grand Marnier in that it has a distinct dark brandy body. Many of the recipes I found were questioning what to substitute for Heering and the consensus was that nothing really quite matches it. Some had suggested a Kirschwasser or other eau de vie, but as I am an avid consumer of all fruit-infused clear liquor, including Slivovitz and Pálinka, I can reassure you that none of these even come close to Cherry Heering. Suck it up, buy a bottle. I’ve also found it’s good with amaretto and I add a dash or two for some extra richness. One of these days I’ll post one of my better concoctions using those two, but until then, enjoy the classic Blood and Sand:


  • ¾ oz. Scotch

  • ¾ oz Heering cherry liqueur

  • ¾ oz sweet vermouth

  • ¾ oz fresh squeezed orange

  • orange peel for garnish


Add all to shaker, shake with ice, strain and pour into cocktail glass, garnish and serve.


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