Greyhound Cocktail

The Greyhound Cocktail is an easy classic with just two ingredients: Vodka and Grapefruit Juice. Some like to add a little bit of sugar to it in order to offset how tart it can be from the Grapefruit Juice, but if you want to be traditional, keep it simple. Any way you like it, the Greyhound Cocktail is one of those extremely simple cocktails that have been around for a long time for a reason.

The Greyhound has been around since at least 1930 and has moved in and out of popuarlity since. These days it's still not the most popular of cocktails, but its simplicity and ease of making ensures it will stick around for awhile.

Total Time 2

Servings 1 cocktail

Ingredients

45 mL Vodka
45 mL Grapefruit Juice
Garnish with a lime wheel

Instructions

Add Vodka and Grapefruit Juice to a mixing glass with ice. Stir until well mixed and cold.
Strain either into a Coupe neat, or into a Rocks Glass with fresh ice.
Garnish, serve, drink.

Notes

It's not clear where the recipe or the name of this cocktail comes from, but there have been reports of a similar cocktail being served at a chain of restaurants called Post House. Post Houses were operated by the Greyhound Bus Company and were located at their bus terminals. Perhaps this is where they came from, but we're not sure if the recipe creation date coincides with the start of the Post House chain.

More Info on the Greyhound Cocktail

Although it’s a pretty simple cocktail, the Greyhound is certainly tasty. Maybe if you’re not a big fan of Grapefruit Juice you may find the Greyhound Cocktail a little sharp, especially since there’s no sugar in this recipe, but if you do like Grapefruit Juice (or tart flavours in general), this is certainly a drink for you! Of course if the Grapefruit flavours are too much for you, you’re welcome to add a little bit of sugar to the recipe, just to take the edge off. Don’t overdo it though because then you’re beginning to kind of take away from the point of this cocktail. It’s meant to be tart, but that’s what makes it so pleasing!

Can I batch this recipe to make many cocktails at once?

Yes you can! Since this is a pretty simple two ingredient cocktail, you can actually make a whole batch of Greyhounds by just mixing more in your mixing glass or even making a larger amount in a jug. It’s completely up to you.

Can the Greyhound be prepared early to serve later?

Yes, just like it’s easy to batch this cocktail, if you make up a few and leave them in the fridge, they’ll be fine to keep for a little while. Just remember to mix everything up with ice to get a little bit of dilution but then remove the ice so it doesn’t dilute further.

Is there a good time or place for a Greyhound Cocktail?

We always think more sour cocktails like this are great for a refreshing and revitalising hit in the warmer months. As a more simple Vodka based cocktail, we also see it as a good replacement for other simple Vodka based cocktails that are served in a Martini glass. Think a replacement for cocktails like the Martini (obviously, plus its variants), or the Cosmopolitan. Basically if you just want to change things up a bit from the usual elegance portrayed by other similar recipes, maybe it’s time for a Greyhound!

How strong is the Greyhound Cocktail?

It’s moderate. It has no more alcohol than the cocktails we’ve already talked about (i.e. the classic Martini and the Cosmo). 45 mL of Vodka is pretty much standard for cocktail recipes. Of course there are cocktail recipes that really push things and add a lot more alcohol, and cocktails that try to stay a bit lower. This cocktail isn’t one of them. So yep, it’s about average.

What’s the best type of music to put together with a Greyhound Cocktail?

Although typically served up in a Martini glass, the Greyhound could just as easily be a quick and dirty cocktail whipped up out of necessity. Just combine some Vodka and Grapefruit Juice and you have a nice drink to sip on. Maybe you stick it in a Martini glass just to make it look and feel a little more fancy! There’s something a little Rock ‘n Roll about all of this. It’s one of those drinks that may be is a quick effort at a cocktail at an after party for a Rock concert.

So we’d put the Greyhound together with Rock ‘n Roll music. It’s quick, easy, a little bit elegant, but it’s also kind of quick and dirty too. The exact type of Rock is completely up to you. Choose your favourite.