Rudolph Valentino was one of the biggest stars during the heyday of the silent movie era. In 1922 he played the lead in an adaptation of a novel by Vincente Blasco Ibáñez, by some considered to be his best performance. The silent film is called Blood and Sandwas a tale of a poor man making it big as a celebrated bullfighter. Having married his childhood sweetheart early in his career Valentino’s character starts an affair with a wealthy widow after becoming famous. Second thoughts led his furious lover to take her revenge on the bullfighter by exposing the affair to his wife. The ordeal makes him lose focus in the arena and he gets killed by a bull, but not before being forgiven by his wife. A big drama that inspired a classic cocktail.

The movie was by no means a masterpiece. In a review it was noted that “It is the story’s name and not the story or plot that made ‘Blood and Sand’ the big hit”. The movie was big enough success though to inspire a bartender, no one knows who, to create an unexpectedly great cocktail. It is said that the amber Cherry Heering is supposed to play the role of the blood and the orange juice plays the role of sand.

This 100 year old classic scotch cocktail was first published in Harry Craddock’s Savoy Cocktail Book from 1930 as was the case with a long line of classics.

The glass is called Harlekiini and was designed in 1958 by Nanny Still.