Mike's Mix: The Blood & Sand

Every Friday, Mike Augustyniak picks up a new cocktail recipe from a local mixologist. This week, he headed over to The Mill Northeast and to make the essential Scotch cocktail, served up in a neighborhood setting.

The Blood & Sand

1 1/2 oz Black Bottle Scotch
1/2 oz Dolin Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
1/4 oz fresh squeezed orange juice
2 dashes Regan's bitters

Stir, strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with dropped Griottine (brandy-soaked) cherry

Taste Test

In the Scotch world, the Blood & Sand is a classic. Named for the 1922 silent film of the same name, the ingredients and texture of the drink follow suit.  The "blood" part of the drink comes from the Cherry Heering, and the Dolin sweet vermouth (a less-sweet version of other vermouths).  Bits of pulp from fresh-squeezed OJ stand in for the "sand."  If there is any hesitation to try this one, just think of it as a Scotch Old Fashioned, because that's essentially what it is.

Links

The Mill Northeast is taking reservations for a special three-course Valentine's Day dinner, featuring surf and turf, for $40.

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