I love this cocktail.  Let me qualify that:  I love the version my husband makes.  I love him, too.  Even so, nobody makes a better Salty Dog.  Today I share his technique with you.

Start with fresh grapefruit. 

Four grapefruit will make about 3 drinks so plan your squeezing accordingly.  The grapefruits!  What did you think I meant??

Squeeze the juice – I have a little juicer component on my favorite kitchen workhorse.

It comes in super handy for this. 

To your favorite glass (this one came from New Mexico and if it ever gets broken I will cry!) add crushed ice all the way to the top.  Add a squeeze of lime to the ice.

To this, mix 1 part vodka to 3 parts freshly squeezed grapefruit juice.  Finish with a couple of grinds of superfine fresh ground salt.

Tink!  (that’s the sound of the glasses clinking together)

Note:  You can make this drink with store-bought juice but, it’s not the same.  If you do – omit the salt.  Processed juice is salty enough.  If you use something like Ruby Red (from the non-refrigerated section) it will be much sweeter than the authentic, fresh version.  If you must use bought juice, I recommend Simply Juice from the cold section of your store – it’s not the same, but will do in a pinch.