Salty Dog
Vodka or gin and grapefruit juice with a salted rim — the Greyhound (1930) given salt, sodium suppressing grapefruit's bitterness as in the Margarita.
- 2 ozvodka(or gin)
- 4 ozfresh grapefruit juice
- for rimcoarse sea salt
- grapefruit wedgegarnish
- 1Rim a highball glass with coarse salt by wetting the edge with grapefruit juice.
- 2Fill the glass with ice cubes.
- 3Add vodka and grapefruit juice.
- 4Stir gently and garnish with a grapefruit wedge.
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The Salty Dog is a direct variation of the Greyhound — vodka and grapefruit juice — distinguished solely by a salted rim. The Greyhound appeared in cocktail guides as early as 1930 in a gin version, with vodka becoming standard in American bars during the 1950s and 1960s. The salted rim on the Salty Dog draws from the same principle as the Margarita's salt rim: sodium from the salt interacts with bitter compounds in the grapefruit juice, suppressing bitterness and enhancing the perception of sweetness without adding any sugar to the drink. The name likely references the nautical slang for an experienced sailor, fitting the coastal, maritime imagery that gin and vodka highballs with grapefruit juice evoke. The Salty Dog became a fixture at beach bars and coastal restaurant menus throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
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