Food

Classic Greyhound Cocktail Recipe With Vodka or Gin

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: May 26, 2024 • 1 min read

The Greyhound is a classic cocktail, traditionally made with just two ingredients: grapefruit juice and either gin or vodka as the spirit. It is served in a variety of different glasses, so feel free to make yours in a rocks glass, a Collins glass, a highball glass, or a Martini glass.

The greyhound cocktail recipe first cropped up in The Savoy Cocktail Book, a 1930 cookbook by Harry Craddock. It wasn’t until 1945 that the drink was officially called a “greyhound” in print, by Harper’s Magazine—supposedly because it was a popular cocktail at Greyhound bus terminals.

Learn From the Best

3 Variations on the Greyhound Cocktail

The greyhound is a simple drink, so there’s plenty of room to change it to your tastes.

  1. 1. Add some sweetened cranberry juice to the recipe to make a Sea Breeze. Learn how to make a Sea Breeze cocktail with our recipe here.
  2. 2. The Salty Dog is a regular Greyhound cocktail with salt on the rim of the glass.
  3. 3. The Italian Greyhound is a version made with Campari and vodka as a substitute for the gin.

Classic Greyhound Cocktail Recipe

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makes

1 cocktail

prep time

3 min

total time

3 min

Ingredients

  1. 1

    Combine liquor and fresh grapefruit juice into a glass.

  2. 2

    Add ice and stir until chilled. Garnish with a lemon or lime twist, if desired. Serve cold.

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