This 2-Ingredient Cocktail Is My Favorite Way to Sip Vodka

Grapefruit juice is one of my favorite cocktail mixers because it has it all: It’s sweet, tart, bitter, and refreshing all in one pretty pink package. I’ll mix it with tequila for a Paloma, or shake up a French Blonde when I’m feeling like something fancy, but sometimes I just want to make a delicious grapefruit cocktail with as little effort as possible.

The classic Greyhound is the one I turn to time and time again: It only has two ingredients, and they’re poured directly into an ice-filled glass so there’s no fussing with shaking or straining. Best of all, I can be sipping a Greyhound in less than a minute. Choose between gin or vodka depending on your mood or what’s on the bar cart. (And if you’re feeling a little extra, salt the rim of the glass first and turn it into a Salty Dog.)

Get the recipe: Greyhound Cocktail 

• It doesn’t get easier than this. Just remember a ratio of 2 parts juice (4 ounces) to 1 part alcohol (2 ounces) and pour both directly into the glass over ice. No need for shaking or straining!
• Vibrant in flavor and in color. Gorgeous ruby red grapefruit juice not only gives the greyhound its inviting bright color, but it also adds sweet, bitter, and tart flavors. 

1. Juice the grapefruit. Juice a ruby red or pink grapefruit until you have 4 ounces and strain out the pulp.
2. Stir the cocktail. Pour the juice over ice, add 2 ounces vodka or gin, and stir to combine. Taste and add some simple syrup if you want it sweeter, and garnish with a slice of lime or grapefruit.

• You’ll need 1 medium grapefruit for each cocktail. While fresh is best, you can purchase bottled grapefruit juice; just choose one that is 100% juice.
• For a party, make a batch of greyhounds in a pitcher. Your guests can just pour it over ice to serve themselves. For 12 drinks, stir 6 1/3 cups grapefruit juice and 1 (750-milliliter) bottle vodka or gin together in a pitcher and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Stir before serving.