I make a blood orange manhattan that is a killer. Juice of one half blood orange (usually at Fresh Market) dollop of blood orange bitters (Party Mart)
one part sweet vermouth, two parts medium quality bourbon (keep in freezer). Shake vigorously over ice. Strain and pour into chilled
stem glass, add two fresh pitted cherries (Fresh Market) Enjoy! Take some of the zest and flame it and spear them and the cherries
Blood orange juice and bourbon with sweet vermouth should be a wonderful combination. But, Joseph, I think your creation is rather a riff on Blood & sand than on Manhattan.