Bright and refreshing, this Sparkling Salty Dog is going to be your new summer go-to cocktail. This easy drink gets a double dose of grapefruit flavor with fresh grapefruit juice and sparkling grapefruit soda water. Don't forget the salted rim - it marries the sweet and tart together perfectly. Mix one up in minutes!
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Bubbles make everything better and that is no exception with a Sparkling Salty Dog Cocktail. This cousin to the traditional Greyhound Cocktail is filled with fresh grapefruit juice and vodka, sweetened with a touch of agave, and topped with pink bubbly water. Add a salted rim, and this drink has all of the flavors to make your taste buds happy.
The Sparkling Salty Dog is perfect for brunch, adds pizzazz to a shower, or simply makes happy hour shine. Don't take our word for it, shake one up for yourself and see what we are talking about.
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Why you'll love this recipe
✔︎ It's balanced! The salted rim is a game-changer in this cocktail. The salted rim, tart juice, and bubbles taste amazing together.
✔︎ It's elevated! This tasty drink is so easy to make but adds a special touch to brunch or happy hour.
✔︎ It's refreshing! Grapefruit Soda water adds bubbles to the drink which makes it bright and effervescent.
Ingredients
This easy drink only uses a handful of ingredients.
Ingredient Notes:
Vodka: Use your favorite brand. There is no need to use "martini" quality vodka, but go a step above rail vodka for a smooth drink. 8 Degrees and Driftless Glen are a few of our favorites.
Grapefruit Juice: Freshly squeezed juice is a must for this drink. Most bottled juices are bitter in flavor, which will make your drink bitter as well.
Agave: Just a touch of agave adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the grapefruit juice.
Grapefruit Soda Water: Sparkling grapefruit soda can be found with the other mixers at the store. Fevertree and Q are our favorite brands.
Instructions
The hardest part of making this drink is squeezing the fresh juice.
Fill a shaker with ice and add the vodka, fresh grapefruit juice, and agave.
Cover the shaker and shake until the agave is completely incorporated. Rim a glass with a grapefruit wedge and invert it on a salt filled plate. Strain the contents of the shaker into an ice-filled low ball glass and top it with sparkling grapefruit soda water.
FAQs
This low-alcohol drink lends itself perfectly to making a mocktail. Simply omit the vodka and add more grapefruit juice and sparkling soda water. The results are delicious.
Grapefruits are one of the easiest citrus fruits to squeeze for juice and for this drink it is an absolute must. Bottled juice is not only more bitter from the preservatives, the color is not nearly as vibrant. The few extra minutes required to get the fresh juice are well worth it.
A Salty Dog has a salted rim and a Greyhound does not. Although it may appear to be a small difference, the salted rim makes the drink taste entirely different. Try it for yourself and see!
Expert Tips for making the best Salty Dog
✘ Don't skip the agave. Although it is a small amount, that little bit of sweetness completely balances the cocktail.
✘ Use a lot of ice when you are making this drink. Cold drinks are the best drinks.
✘ Use quality soda water. The taste of Fevertree and Q Mixers cannot be matched. They are worth every penny and are the difference between a good cocktail and a great one.
✘ Use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt. It gives you the texture and the taste but isn't as salty as other brands. Yes, there is a difference in the level of sodium in salt.
Substitutions and Shortcuts
▶︎ Are you a gin lover? This Sparkling Salty Dog can be made with vodka or gin and get fabulous results!
▶︎ We love the depth that agave gives to this drink, but simple syrup can be used as a sweetener as well. (P.S. You can make your own simple syrup at home!)
▶︎ Grapefruit flavored La Croix or plain club soda can be used in place of the Grapefruit Soda water if you don't have time to run to the store.
More Great Recipes
We love grapefruit cocktails! Check out some of our other favorite pink drinks or search through all of our vodka recipes.
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Recipe
Sparkling Salty Dog
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces Vodka
- 2 ounces Grapefruit Juice
- ½ ounce Agave
- 2 ounces Sparkling Grapefruit Soda Water
- Kosher Salt
- Grapefruit Wedges
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Instructions
- Pour kosher salt on a small plate. Rim a low ball glass with the grapefruit wedge and invert glass on salt filled plate.Kosher Salt, Grapefruit Wedges
- Fill a shaker with ice and add vodka, fresh grapefruit juice, and agave. Shake vigorously to combine. Shake until agave is completely incorporated in drink.1½ ounces Vodka, 2 ounces Grapefruit Juice, ½ ounce Agave
- Fill salt rimmed glass with ice and strain contents of shaker into glass. Top with Sparkling Grapefruit Soda water and stir to combine.
- Garnish drink with a grapefruit wedge and serve.
Notes
- Vodka: Use your favorite brand. There is no need to use "martini" quality vodka, but go a step above rail vodka for a smooth drink. 8 Degrees and Driftless Glen are a few of our favorites.
- Grapefruit Juice: Fresh is a must for this drink, bottled juice is bitter in flavor and will make your drink bitter as well. This inexpensive citrus juicer makes squeezing your own juice easy.
- Agave: Just a touch of agave adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the grapefruit juice.
- Grapefruit Soda Water: Sparkling Grapefruit juice can be found with the other mixers at the store. Fever tree and Q are our favorite brands.
Substitutions and Shortcuts
▶︎ Are you a gin lover? This Sparkling Salty Dog can be made with vodka or gin and get fabulous results! ▶︎ We love the depth that agave gives to this drink, but simple syrup can be used as a sweetener as well. ▶︎Grapefruit flavored La Croix or plain club soda can be used in place of the Grapefruit Soda water if you don't have time to run to the store.Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
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