A Greyhound is a cocktail consisting of grapefruit juice and either gin or vodka; it is traditionally served over ice. “Greyhound” is also the nickname given to my husband by a friend in law school due to his tall, thin physique. Although the two are unrelated, I apparently have an affinity toward anything greyhound-related. So this post is a nod to my husband, my love of all dogs, and my enjoyment of a great cocktail. If you add salt to the rim of the glass of a classic Greyhound, you have a favorite of mine, the salty dog–which I blogged about last summer. A Greyhound is considered a great morning or brunch cocktail but truthfully can be a great go-to drink any time of day, especially during the Spring and Summer months. Like a Screwdriver, there are many variations of this classic drink. Using fresh fruit juice will almost always improve a cocktail dramatically and something I insist on. I think that the addition of fresh blood orange juice to the grapefruit juice takes this cocktail to another level.
The earliest known reference to a Greyhound was in the 1930’s in Harry Craddock’s Savory Cocktail Book. This recipe consisted only of gin, grapefruit juice, and ice. A vodka variation did not appear until around 1945 when post-war tastes began to replace gin with vodka in this and many other classic cocktails. My blood orange Greyhound is both sweet and tart, and is 100% refreshing. I add some orange bitters to enhance the blood orange flavor which is a true favorite of mine. This is lovely cocktail and a great go-to for sipping on during those warm Summer months.
Blood Orange Greyhound

Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin (or vodka)
- 3 ounces freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
- 2 ounces freshly squeezed blood orange juice
- dash of orange bitters
- orange twist, for garnish
Directions
- Step 1 Place a good amount of ice in an old-fashioned glass. Set aside.
- Step 2 Using a cocktail shaker, add the gin, grapefruit juice, orange juice, bitters and a handful of ice. Shake vigorously for 20 seconds.
- Step 3 Strain into the prepared cocktail glass. garnish with an orange twist.
H Andrea! I can’t wait to serve this at my BBQ this weekend. I may add a dash of grapefruit La Croix for a bit a sparkle. Cheers!
Hi Lynne. Thanks for reaching out. I hope you enjoy this fun cocktail. Do LMK your thoughts at some point, I always love feedback. Have a lovely holiday weekend.