Salty Dog

Pro tips

• Chill your glass in the freezer or with ice water before serving to keep the drink cold longer.
• Use fresh-squeezed grapefruit or lemon juice for brighter flavor; bottled juice tastes flat.
• Salt the rim generously but evenly—it's the defining feature, so don't skimp.
• Stir or shake the drink well with ice for 10–15 seconds to chill and dilute slightly, then strain into the salted glass.

Substitutions

• Old Mr. Boston Dry Gin → any dry gin (Tanqueray, Beefeater, or local dry gin)
• Grapefruit juice → fresh lemon juice (sharper, more sour profile)
• Table salt → kosher salt or sea salt (coarser crystals stick better to the rim)

Can I use lemon juice instead of grapefruit?

Yes. The recipe calls for either grapefruit or lemon juice. Lemon makes it sharper and more sour; grapefruit is softer and slightly bitter.

How do you salt the rim?

Wet the rim of a chilled glass with grapefruit or lemon juice, then dip it into kosher salt or sea salt on a small plate. Shake off excess.

What glass should I use?

Serve in a rocks glass or coupe glass over ice. A rocks glass is traditional.

Can I make this without alcohol?

Yes, omit the gin and increase the juice to 4 oz, or add soda water for carbonation. The salt rim remains essential.

How far ahead can I prep this?

Prepare the juice and salt the rim up to 2 hours ahead. Add gin and ice just before serving to keep it cold and properly diluted.