The Salty Dog Cocktail Recipe

The Salty Dog was created in the 1950's by George Jessel and is closely related to the Greyhound Cocktail distinguished by the glasses salted rim like the Margarita and Paloma.

The Salty Dog is a refreshing, citrus-forward cocktail that evolved from one of the earliest gin highballs of the 20th century. Its roots trace back to the Greyhound, a simple mixture of gin and grapefruit juice that first appeared in the 1930s. The Greyhound recipe was printed in The Savoy Cocktail Book and later popularised by Harper's Magazine and the Greyhound bus company, which served the drink in its terminal restaurants.

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The defining feature of the Salty Dog—the salted rim—was added later, transforming the original Greyhound into a more savoury, flavour-layered variation. While the exact inventor is unknown, most cocktail historians believe the salted rim began appearing in American bars during the 1940s–1950s, a period when bartenders were experimenting with salt as a flavour enhancer in drinks (similar to the rise of the Margarita).

Originally made with gin, the Salty Dog shifted toward vodka in the mid-20th century as the spirit surged in popularity in the United States. Today, both gin and vodka versions are common, though gin remains truer to the drink’s early roots. The modern Salty Dog is defined by its clean, tangy grapefruit profile balanced by the subtle savoury edge of the salt rim. Crisp, simple and refreshing, it stands as a classic example of how a small twist—in this case, salt—can elevate a straightforward cocktail into a timeless favourite.

The Salty Dog Cocktail Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 oz of gin

• 3 oz of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (white or pink)

• salt

• Garnish with a slice/wedge of grapefruit

Assembly

Rub the edge of a tall glass with a piece of grapefruit, then dip the edge of the glass into some salt. Add the gin and grapefruit juice, stir well, then add ice to fill. Fix a small slice of grapefruit to the edge of the glass as a garnish.