The 2-Ingredient Grapefruit Cocktail We Want To Drink All Summer
Anyone who enjoys making cocktails at home needs to know about all of the best 2-ingredient cocktails out there. This includes the Greyhound, which consists of just grapefruit juice and either gin or vodka, making for a tart, refreshing, and strong cocktail perfect for summertime or a weekend brunch. The Greyhound dates back to 1930, when it first appeared in a recipe book titled "Savoy Cocktail Book," written by bartender Harry Craddock. The original iteration was made with gin, but as vodka began gaining popularity in the United States around the 1940s, vodka became a popular choice for the spirit in the Greyhound. Nowadays, both gin and vodka are used, so it really comes down to personal preference.
After you've decided on either gin or vodka, the process of making a Greyhound is quite simple. Take out a cocktail glass and add either 1½ or 2 ounces of your chosen spirit (depending on how strong you'd like the drink), at least four ounces of grapefruit juice (although you're free to add more to fill the glass), and ice. Stir gently, then serve. If you'd like to include a garnish — even though that's technically a third ingredient — a lime wheel or wedge are common choices. Additionally, since the drink consists of just two ingredients, it's a good idea to invest in a quality spirit as well as freshly squeezed grapefruit juice so that the flavor of the drink is as bright and fresh as possible.
How to customize the Greyhound
The Greyhound tastes delicious just as it is, but it can also be fun to play around with some customizations — as long as you're willing to add an extra ingredient or two. For example, you may think that the drink is lacking in sweetness — after all, grapefruit juice is much more tart than sweet. In this case, feel free to start by adding ½ ounce of simple syrup, then add more if needed. You can even make your own homemade simple syrup to keep with the theme of using the best ingredients possible.
Another way to get some sweetness into the mix is to add a sugar rim to the glass. And speaking of the rim of the glass, a common variation of the Greyhound includes a salted rim — so common in fact that this variation has its own name, the Salty Dog. You can also easily turn the Greyhound into a bubbly drink by using club soda to top it off. Or, if you're looking to make the drink even stronger, you can use champagne or prosecco. Finally, for another variation, Tasting Table has a recipe for a Greyhound cocktail with vodka and tea. Our recipe uses an Earl Grey tea-infused vodka, honey simple syrup, and seltzer to make a fizzier, sweeter version of the Greyhound.