The standard Salty Dog is a classic, and most bartenders should be able to make one for you pretty easily (it’s also a cinch to whip up at home). It’s just a couple ounces of vodka topped with grapefruit juice, served with a salted rim. Of course, that makes for a drink that’s a little one-note. It basically tastes like, well … grapefruit juice.
That isn’t a bad thing; grapefruit juice is tasty, which is why I wanted to use it in a drink. So I’ve taken the salty dog, married it with a martini, and come up with something a little more complex and elegant, while staying in the same wheelhouse. This one isn’t something you’ll find at the local watering hole, but your own bar should have all of these ingredients, so whipping one up from the comforts of home should be easy.
You’ll note I only rimmed half the glass with salt. This is to help keep the salt from overwhelming the drink. You should experiment to see what you prefer.
- 2 oz. Vodka (Reyka)
- 1 oz. Grapefruit Juice
- .75 oz. Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
- .25 oz. Simple Syrup
- Dash Orange Bitters (The Bitter Truth)
- Dash Aromatic Bitters (Angostura)
Rim half a cocktail glass with kosher salt. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice and shake thoroughly. Strain into cocktail glass. No garnish.
This article is a modified and enhanced version of a post that ran on my nightly cocktail blog, DrinkShouts. Liquors in parentheses are what I used when I made this recipe, and are included as suggestions.
The Salty Dog Cocktail Recipe
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker
- Cocktail Strainer
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Vodka Reyka
- 1 oz. Grapefruit juice
- .75 oz. Dry vermouth Noilly Prat
- .25 oz. Simple syrup
- Dash orange bitters The Bitter Truth
- Dash aromatic bitters Angostura
Instructions
- Rim half a cocktail glass with kosher salt. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice and shake thoroughly. Strain into cocktail glass. No garnish.
