Classic Salty Dog Cocktail

The Salty Dog is a refreshing citrus cocktail that combines grapefruit juice, gin and a salty note. It’s perfect for brunch or happy hour!

You want a citrus cocktail with a salty twist not a margarita? Come in, salty dog! This cocktail has a unique name and a beautiful pale pink color. It really is nothing like a margarita, apart from that salty edge! It’s tangy and refreshing, perfect as a drink for brunch or happy hour. It has a slight summer vibe, but it works in winter when citrus fruits are in abundance. Really, it works anytime! (Besides, how fun is it to say “Let’s make Salty Dogs!”?)

What’s in a salty dog?

The Salty Dog cocktail is thought to date from the 1920s. It’s similar to a Greyhound cocktail, made with basically the same ingredients but without the salty edge! Here are the ingredients you need to make a Salty Dog (see the recipe below for exact amounts):

• gin
• grapefruit juice
• rim salt
• Plain syrup or maple syrup (optional)
• lime wedge (optional)

Why is a Salty Dog served with salt?

Of course you know it’s called Salty Dog for a reason! But why the salt? According to some sources, cocktails during and after Prohibition were often served with sugar or salt to compensate for the lower quality of the alcohol. So the crappy gin was covered with a salty rim!

Why serve with salt today? Salt intensifies the sweet and sour taste of the drink. This makes the acid lighter, making the overall drinking experience more enjoyable.

How to Make a Salty Dog (3 Basic Steps!)

There really isn’t much to offer in a Salty Dog. Aside from making the rim, it’s shaken in a shaker until cold, then served over ice!

1. Rim the glass with salt. Not only does he look cute! Salt enhances the overall flavor of the drink. How do you make the perfect salt rim? See below.
2. Shake in a cocktail shaker. Take this gin and grapefruit juice and shake them together in a cocktail shaker with 4 cubes of ice. We like to add 1 dash of simple syrup or maple syrup to round out the flavor (otherwise very tart).
3. Pour into a glass and add ice. Strain the drink into the glass and add ice. Garnish with a quarter of the grapefruit and voila!

What drinks are associated with Salty Dog?

There are a few drinks that are similar to Salty Dog, mainly because they also use grapefruit juice:

• The Sea Breeze uses vodka, grapefruit juice and cranberry
• The Greyhound cocktail also uses grapefruit juice and gin, but no salty edge.

Craving more grapefruit cocktails? Try the Paloma, the Hemingway Daiquiri or the Brown Derby.

Tips for making a salt rim

We used flaky sea salt for the salty rim of this Salty Dog. You can also use kosher salt if you have it, which has large grains. Don’t use iodized salt: it’s far too salty! Here are some tips for making a salt rim:

1. Spread the salt in an even layer on a plate.
2. Take a lime wedge and cut a notch in the middle: then slide it around the rim of the glass. This will wet the rim of the glass without having to use your fingers.
3. For the rim of the glass, the salt should only be on the outside rim of the glass, not on the inside where it can fall into the drink. To do this, tilt the glass and rotate it slightly so that the outer rim goes into the salt.
4. Shake out loose salt in the sink.

Do I need a shaker?

Yes and no! If you make cocktails often, we recommend investing in a cocktail shaker: it’s cheap and makes mixing drinks easier! Here is the one we have: Favorite Cocktail Shaker. If you don’t want to buy one: no problem! Use a glass jar to mix the drink! Put the lid on and shake the drink with ice (or put your hand on it). Then, when pouring the drink, use a strainer to keep the ice in the glass.

Which gin should I buy?

You should use high-quality gin for this Salty Dog! The better the gin, the better the drink. The easiest way to tell if a gin is high quality? Don’t buy the cheapest gin you can find. Try investing in a mid-range gin: the drink will only taste as good as the gin you invest in! Also keep an eye out for local gin if you have distilleries in your area.

Should I add a sweetener?

Officially, the Salty Dog contains no sugar. Without it, however, it’s so tart that adding a dash of simple syrup is traditional. Here are two ways to sweeten this drink:

• To keep things naturally sweet, Alex and I like to use pure maple syrup to sweeten our cocktails. It offers not only a sweet sweetness, but also a nuanced undertone (and it doesn’t taste like maple: I promise!). Plus, we always have maple syrup in the fridge!
• Or if you prefer, head over to How to Make Simple Syrup to make it in 5 minutes! In this recipe, you only need one dash.

When to serve a salty dog ​​cocktail

This Salty Dog Cocktail is simple and festive. It’s great like: