Salty Dog Cocktail

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Salty Dog Cocktail — A cousin to a greyhound, this bright, refreshing drink is made with vodka (or gin), grapefruit juice, and a sea-salted rim!! Easy to make a pitcher of it or make in advance if you’re entertaining!!

Salty Dog Cocktail - A cousin to a greyhound, this bright, refreshing drink is made with vodka (or gin), grapefruit juice, and a sea-salted rim!! Easy to make a pitcher of it or make in advance if you're entertaining!!

What Is a Salty Dog Cocktail?

If you’ve never heard of a salty dog drink, don’t worry. It’s actually a classic grapefruit and vodka cocktail, although it’s sometimes made with gin.

A salty dog is bright, delicious, and served with a sea salt rim for a refreshing and sippable evergreen cocktail!

I love that you can use this salty dog cocktail recipe to make individual cocktails or a pitcher drink. This is a great recipe for parties!

If you need a cousin to this recipe, this Greyhound Drink is another fan favorite.

Salty Dog Cocktail - A cousin to a greyhound, this bright, refreshing drink is made with vodka (or gin), grapefruit juice, and a sea-salted rim!! Easy to make a pitcher of it or make in advance if you're entertaining!!

Difference Between a Salty Dog and a Greyhound

If you’re thinking, wow, a salty dog sounds very similar to a greyhound given the vodka (or gin) along with the grapefruit juice, you’re right! 

The difference is that a salty dog drink has a salted rim whereas a greyhound does not. Other than that, they’re virtually identical. 

Salty Dog Cocktail - A cousin to a greyhound, this bright, refreshing drink is made with vodka (or gin), grapefruit juice, and a sea-salted rim!! Easy to make a pitcher of it or make in advance if you're entertaining!!

Ingredients in a Salty Dog Cocktail 

A salty dog is essentially a grapefruit vodka cocktail. Here’s what you’ll need to make one: 

  • Sea salt
  • Ice
  • Vodka or gin
  • Grapefruit juice
  • Grapefruit wedge, optional for garnishing
  • Lime slice, optional for garnishing

Scroll to the bottom of this post for the recipe card with the exact measurements. 

What’s the Best Vodka for This Cocktail? 

Since this is a two-ingredient vodka cocktail, the vodka really shines. As such, I don’t recommend getting the cheapest vodka at the grocery store. 

Reasonably priced vodkas that I recommend for making a salty dog cocktail include: Tito’s, Absolut, and Reyka. However, use whatever vodka you prefer (so long as it’s unflavored!). 

Salty Dog Cocktail - A cousin to a greyhound, this bright, refreshing drink is made with vodka (or gin), grapefruit juice, and a sea-salted rim!! Easy to make a pitcher of it or make in advance if you're entertaining!!

How to Make a Salty Dog Cocktail

This is one of the easiest cocktails you can make. There’s no special equipment or technique involved, and you can measure out the grapefruit juice and vodka in parts rather than in exact ounces. 

Here’s an overview of how the salty dog recipe is made: 

  1. Begin by using your finger to run a bit of water around the rim of a cocktail glass before dipping it in small plate or sauce of sea salt.
  2. Fill a glass about three-quarters of the way with ice before adding the vodka and grapefruit juice, and stir with a bar spoon.
  3. Garnish with a grapefruit wedge and lime slice and voila, it’s that easy!
Salty Dog Cocktail - A cousin to a greyhound, this bright, refreshing drink is made with vodka (or gin), grapefruit juice, and a sea-salted rim!! Easy to make a pitcher of it or make in advance if you're entertaining!!

Can I Make This as a Pitcher Cocktail? 

Yes! Salty dogs are an easy drink to make as a pitcher recipe or a big-batch recipe because there’s nothing carbonated, so there’s nothing to go flat. 

You can even make a pitcher in advance and pop it in the fridge if you’re going to be entertaining for New Year’s or for a summer pool party or barbecue, of course when we get back to that phase of life, one day.

Salt the rims of individual glasses before serving or as noted below, you can add a pinch of sea salt to the drink itself.

I love a salted rim especially when it’s warm outside. Bring on the margaritas and salty dogs indeed! 

Salty Dog Cocktail - A cousin to a greyhound, this bright, refreshing drink is made with vodka (or gin), grapefruit juice, and a sea-salted rim!! Easy to make a pitcher of it or make in advance if you're entertaining!!

Can This Recipe Be Made with Gin?

Yes! Salty Dogs can be made with either gin or vodka.

I prefer them with vodka because the salt helps neutralize the vodka flavor and makes for a really smooth cocktail. I also will almost always choose vodka over gin, but of course, suit your personal preferences.

Can I Use Another Citrus Juice? 

Yes, but then it won’t be a classic salty dog recipe. A salty dog is always a grapefruit vodka cocktail (or gin). 

Salty Dog Cocktail – A cousin to a greyhound, this bright, refreshing drink is made with vodka (or gin), grapefruit juice, and a sea-salted rim!! Easy to make a pitcher of it or make in advance if you’re entertaining!!

Tips for the Best Salty Dog Cocktail

Salt: A pinch of sea salt can be added to the drink itself if you’re a salt lover.

Grapefruit juice: For the best flavor, I recommend using only fresh squeezed grapefruit juice or the refrigerated store-bought kind.

If possible, avoid using shelf stable grapefruit juice such as Ocean Spray because it doesn’t have quite the same fresh and natural flavor as a fresh grapefruit does. If that’s all you can find, work with what you’ve got.

Salty Dog Cocktail - A cousin to a greyhound, this bright, refreshing drink is made with vodka (or gin), grapefruit juice, and a sea-salted rim!! Easy to make a pitcher of it or make in advance if you're entertaining!!

What to Serve with a Salty Dog

Serve your salty dog drink with your favorite nibbles! We love the following: 

Or, make a DIY cheeseboard or charcuterie board

Salty Dog Cocktail — A cousin to a greyhound, this bright, refreshing drink is made with vodka (or gin), grapefruit juice, and a sea-salted rim!! Easy to make a pitcher of it or make in advance if you're entertaining!!
Salty Dog Cocktail — A cousin to a greyhound, this bright, refreshing drink is made with vodka (or gin), grapefruit juice, and a sea-salted rim!! Easy to make a pitcher of it or make in advance if you're entertaining!!

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5 from 4 votes

Salty Dog Cocktail

By Averie Sunshine
A cousin to a greyhound, this bright, refreshing drink is made with vodka (or gin), grapefruit juice, and a sea-salted rim!! Easy to make a pitcher of it or make in advance if you're entertaining!!
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 2 minutes
Servings: 1
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Ingredients  

  • ¼ cup coarse sea salt, for rim
  • Ice
  • ounces vodka or gin*
  • 4 ounces freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
  • grapefruit wedge, optional for garnishing
  • lime slice, optional for garnishing

Instructions 

  • Use your finger to run a bit of water around the rim of a cocktail glass. I like to use a large-ish rocks glass.
  • Add the sea salt to a small plate or saucer and dip the water rimmed glass in the salt, gently moving around to coat.
  • Fill the glass about ¾-full with ice.
  • Add the vodka, grapefruit juice ,and stir with a bar spoon.
  • Optionally garnish with a grapefruit wedge and lime slice and serve immediately.
  • Recipe can be made up to 12 hours in advance and can be made in bulk but quadrupling, 10x'ing, etc. all proportions of all ingredients.

Notes

*I prefer vodka to gin almost always, and this drink is no exception, however suit your personal taste preferences.
Recipe is intended for those for whom alcohol is legal, safe, and appropriate.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 314kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 2g, Sodium: 28297mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 10g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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