Cocktail

Greyhound

The Greyhound is one of the simplest of the classic two-ingredient highballs — a measure of vodka (or gin) lengthened with fresh grapefruit juice and built straight over ice in a tall glass. It is tart, dry and bracing, the bitter-sour edge of grapefruit doing most of the work and the spirit kept well in the background, which makes it a clean, refreshing long drink rather than a sweet one. Salt the rim of the same drink and it becomes its better-known sibling, the Salty Dog. Easy to build and easy to drink, the Greyhound is a fixture of mid-century American bartending and a standby of the brunch and poolside table.

Crisp & tart12% ABV

At a glance

Signature

Grapefruit & Citrus

Pith

Strength

Moderate ABV

12% ABV

A long, ice-cold highball led almost entirely by grapefruit — sharp, tart and faintly bitter, with the pithy edge of the fruit giving the drink its bracing dry character. The vodka or gin sits well in the background, a clean spirit lift rather than a flavour of its own, and there is no added sugar, so the finish is dry, citrus-fragrant and thirst-quenching rather than sweet. A gin build adds a thread of juniper and botanicals through the grapefruit.

Taste balance

SweetnessMedium

DrySweet

AcidityMedium

SoftTart

BitternessMedium

SmoothBitter

StrengthMedium

LightStrong

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