The Salty Dog Cocktail Recipe

Posted in Gin on March 6, 2014

This is quite a strange name for a cocktail and it makes you think about hot dogs. In fact, the drink has nothing to do with dogs or hotdogs. It is a very simple gin based cocktail which basically combines gin and grapefruit juice. From this point of view, it is comparable with the Greyhound which uses vodka instead of gin. There is however another notable difference between the Salty Dog and the Greyhound: the first one is served in a glass rimmed with salt. This is what makes it unique and intriguing. The Salty Dog is one of those cocktails which leave you wanting for more. If it would only be the gin and the juice, it wouldn’t be so special. However, the salt rimming turns an ordinary drink into an exquisite one.

 

The original Salty Dog is gin based. The flavor of the gin combines in an excellent manner with the aroma of the grapefruit juice. However, it has also become popular recently to use vodka instead of gin. This is exactly the recipe for the Greyhound, but it has the salt rimming that makes it different. Nevertheless, lots of people still prefer the gin version because they believe that the grapefruit juice goes better with gin than with vodka.

 

The Salty Dog is usually served straight up in a highball glass.

 

How to Prepare the Salty Dog

 

You need the following ingredients:

 

• 2 oz. of gin.
• 4 oz. of grapefruit juice.
• A lemon or lime wedge for garnish.
• Coarse salt for rimming the glass.

 

Rub the rim of a highball glass with a grapefruit slice and then dip it in coarse salt. Put the gin and the grapefruit juice in a shaker together with ice. Strain the drink in the glass and garnish with the lemon or lime wedge. You can also pour both ingredients in the glass directly and only stir them well. It is up to you how you want to make this cocktail.

 

For best results, you should use freshly squeezed grapefruit juice. It takes some time to make it, but it is sure better for this cocktail than bottled varieties.