Is Greyhound a Cocktail? Everything You Need to Know

Yes, the Greyhound is a classic cocktail. It combines grapefruit juice with either gin or vodka, served over ice in a highball glass. This two-ingredient drink has been around since the 1930s and remains one of the simplest, most refreshing citrus cocktails you can make at home or order at a bar.

What Makes the Greyhound a Cocktail

The Greyhound qualifies as a legitimate cocktail despite its minimal ingredient list. At its core, it’s 2 ounces of spirit mixed with 4 ounces of fresh grapefruit juice, poured over ice. That’s it.

The flavor profile is tart, clean, and citrus-forward. Grapefruit brings natural bitterness and acidity, while the spirit provides structure and strength. There’s no added sugar, no syrups, no elaborate garnishes. The drink stands on the quality of its two components.

It’s typically served in a highball or Collins glass, built directly in the glass rather than shaken. This keeps things straightforward and preserves the bright, uncomplicated character that defines the Greyhound.

Gin or Vodka: The Spirit Debate

Here’s where things get interesting. The original Greyhound, documented in Harry Craddock’s 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, used gin. The botanical complexity of gin plays beautifully with grapefruit’s tartness, adding herbal and floral notes that create depth.

After World War II, the recipe shifted toward vodka as the spirit became more popular in America. Vodka delivers a cleaner, more neutral base that lets grapefruit take center stage. This version became the modern standard.

Both versions are valid. Gin gives you a more complex, layered drink with botanical character. Vodka keeps things smooth, simple, and lets the citrus shine without competition. Choose based on whether you want the spirit to participate in the flavor or step back and let grapefruit dominate.

Greyhound vs. Salty Dog: What’s the Difference?

The only difference between a Greyhound and a Salty Dog is the salted rim. Add salt to the glass rim, and your Greyhound becomes a Salty Dog. That’s the entire distinction.

The salt isn’t just decoration. It fundamentally changes how you experience the drink. Salt balances grapefruit’s natural bitterness and acidity, softens the sharp edges, and adds a savory element that makes each sip more rounded.

Both are recognized cocktails in their own right. The Greyhound is clean and straightforward. The Salty Dog is more nuanced and complex thanks to that salt interaction. Neither is better, they’re simply different approaches to the same base recipe.

If you find grapefruit too tart or bitter on its own, the Salty Dog is your move. If you want pure, unadulterated citrus brightness, stick with the Greyhound.

How to Make a Greyhound Cocktail

You don’t need a shaker, special tools, or advanced technique. The Greyhound is built directly in the glass.

Ingredients:

2 oz gin or vodka
4 oz fresh grapefruit juice
Ice
Optional: grapefruit or lime wedge for garnish

Method:

Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour the spirit over the ice. Add the grapefruit juice. Stir briefly with a bar spoon to combine. Garnish with a citrus wedge if desired.

Fresh juice matters. Bottled grapefruit juice works in a pinch, but fresh-squeezed delivers brighter flavor and better acidity. The difference is noticeable. If your grapefruit is particularly tart, you can add a quarter ounce of simple syrup, but most people skip it.

Ruby red grapefruit gives you a prettier color. Regular white grapefruit works just as well and tends to be slightly more tart.

Why the Greyhound Works

The Greyhound succeeds because it doesn’t try to do too much. Maximum flavor with minimal effort. Two ingredients that complement each other naturally, no elaborate balancing act required.

It shines in warm weather, at brunch, or as an afternoon drink when you want something refreshing without heavy sweetness. It’s also excellent for batch preparation. Juice several grapefruits in advance, mix with your spirit of choice, and pour over ice when guests arrive.

This cocktail is for people who appreciate grapefruit’s complexity and don’t need sugar to enjoy a drink. It’s tart, slightly bitter, and unapologetically citrus-driven. If you typically reach for sweeter highballs like a Screwdriver or Cape Codder, the Greyhound might feel too sharp. But if you enjoy a Paloma, Hemingway Daiquiri, or other citrus-forward cocktails, you’ll find the Greyhound hits that same satisfying balance.

The beauty is in the restraint. Grapefruit and spirit, nothing more. When both ingredients are good quality, nothing else is needed.

A Brief History Worth Knowing

The Greyhound first appeared in print in Harry Craddock’s 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, though it was described simply as a grapefruit cocktail made with gin. The name “Greyhound” became official in a 1945 Harper’s Magazine article.

The most likely origin story traces the name to Post House restaurants, which operated inside Greyhound bus terminals across America. These restaurants served the cocktail to travelers, and the association stuck.

The shift from gin to vodka happened gradually through the mid-20th century as vodka gained popularity in the United States. By the 1960s, vodka had become the default spirit, though gin versions never completely disappeared.

The Greyhound remains relevant because it solves a simple problem: how to make something delicious with minimal ingredients and zero fuss. That appeal doesn’t fade. Trends come and go, but a well-made Greyhound with fresh grapefruit juice delivers exactly what it promises every single time.