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Classic Greyhound Cocktail Recipe With Vodka or Gin

Name: Classic Greyhound Cocktail Recipe With Vodka or Gin
Prep time: 3 min
Total time: 3 min
Yield: 1 cocktail
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 ounces vodka or gin; 4 ounces grapefruit juice (either pink grapefruit or ruby red grapefruit will do); Ice cubes; Optional: Lemon or lime twist, for garnish

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Mar 20, 2025 • 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.

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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. 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. The Salty Dog is a regular Greyhound cocktail with salt on the rim of the glass.
3. The Italian Greyhound is a version made with Campari and vodka as a substitute for the gin.