• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Cooking On The Ranch logo

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Roundup
  • Contact Me
  • Join Community
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Soups, Stews, & Chilis
  • About
  • Recipe Roundup
  • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home > Appetizers and Beverages > Cowboy Cocktail, Salty Dog with Saddle Leather

    Cowboy Cocktail, Salty Dog with Saddle Leather

    Published: May 17, 2017 · Modified: Sep 23, 2022 by Lea Ann Brown · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This Cowboy Cocktail is a unique version of a Salty Dog cocktail using carbonated grapefruit juice and beef jerky for garnish. Your new favorite Western Themed Cocktail has arrived.

    Cocktail glass with salty dog cocktail garnished with pink sea salt and beef jerkey

    What Is A Salty Dog Cocktail?

    While I was sure the drink has nothing to do with a dog, or a dog that been salted, my curiosity sent me to Google to research how the salty dog became a salty dog.

    Wikipedia tells us that a salty dog is a cocktail of gin or vodka and grapefruit juice served in a highball glass with a salted rim.

    The salt is the only difference between a Salty Dog and a Greyhound. A recipe for a similar cocktail with the name “Greyhound” appears in Harper’s magazine in 1945. “The cocktails were made of vodka, sugar, and canned grapefruit juice — a greyhound. This cocktail was served at a popular restaurant chain that was located at Greyhound bus terminals, called ‘Post House’.”

    I recently dug out my cookbook “Shinin’ Times at The Fort” to browse for some western cuisine inspiration. As I was turning the pages , I really wasn’t looking cowboy cocktails, but this recipe called Salty Dog with Saddle Leather caught my attention.

    I think it’s adorable that the saddle leather is a stick of buffalo jerky that garnishes the cocktail.

    The recipe in the book is simple, with canned grapefruit juice and vodka, and salt for the rim of the glass.

    Two cocktail glasses holding salty dog cocktails with beef jerky for garnish.

    However, a while back I picked up some carbonated grapefruit juice that I had yet to try. I also had some salmon colored Hawaiian Premium Red Sea Salt, in the pantry that I thought would be a nice compliment for that salty rim.

    The result? Delicious, sparkling fresh and fabulous. I love the true to grapefruit flavor of the Bai Bubbles product, and of course those bubbles make the cocktail a fizzy success. The Hawaiian sea salt was  perfect compliment and the leather a unique conversation piece.

    Cowboy Cocktail, Salty Dog Cocktail with Saddle Leather

    I hope you give this cowboy cocktail recipe a try. It’s a fun and refreshing treat for a back yard BBQ where a Western Themed dinner is on the menu.

    And if you do make this, please come back and give the recipe a star rating. And leave a comment about your experience with the recipe.

    I hope you give this Western themed Salty Dog recipe a try, and if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating, and leave a comment about your experience with the drink.

    And if you have a favorite unique salty dog recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.

    More Cocktail Recipes

    • Rio Grande Paloma Recipe This pink grapefruit juice cocktail is thirst quenching, light, fruity and fizzy. One of the smoothest tequila cocktails you can mix.
    • Blood Orange Margarita Beautifully orange in color this is a great football cocktail recipe for any team that sports the color orange. Cointreau makes this one special drink.
    • Pumpkin Pie Martini A perfect Fall-themed cocktail for Thanksgiving. Absolutely delicious and creamy. 

    And if you’re looking to host a cocktail party, don’t miss my Appetizer and Beverages category, you’ll find lots of cocktail party recipe ideas. Including one of the most popular beverage on my site for Micheladas, a Mexican Beer Cocktail.

    Cocktail glass with salty dog cocktail garnished with pink sea salt and beef jerkey

    Cowboy Cocktail, Salty Dog With Saddle Leather

    This cocktail has been on the menu of Denver's Famous Fort Restaurant since 1963. The "saddle leather" is a stick of buffalo or beef jerky garnishing each glass.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Cocktails and Beverages
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 170kcal
    Author: Lea Ann Brown

    Ingredients

    • 2 1/2 cups Grapefruit juice
    • 6 ounces gin or vodka
    • 1 tablespoon pink sea salt or regular salt
    • 4 sticks buffalo or beef jerky for garnish. It must be pliable.
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Dampen each glass rim and press the rims in salt. Pour all ingredients over ice cubes in 4 highball glasses. Stir well. Garnish with jerky and serve.

    Notes

    Carbonated Grapefruit Juice makes this a special treat.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1768mg | Potassium: 239mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @lannisam or tag #CookingOnTheRanch!

    The Fort Restaurant is a Denver landmark full of western culture, history, charm and western food. Do Rattlesnake, Quail Eggs Wrapped in Buffalo Sausage, Rocky Mountain Oysters and Bone Marrow get your attention?

    For as long as I’ve lived here, (30 years) it’s been “the place” to take out-of-town guests for a taste of the Wild West. With its unique menu items and servers dressed like Kit Carson, The Fort reflects the years when trappers, settlers and Army explorers first traveled the Santa Fe Trail to our region.

    Salty Dog Cocktail with Beef Jerky Saddle Leather … It’s what’s for a Country Western Themed Cocktail

    More Appetizer and Cocktail Recipes

    • How To Make The Best Micheladas
    • Bacon Jalapeno Cheese Ball Recipe
    • Quick Easy Jalapeno Artichoke Dip
    • Refreshing Halibut Ceviche Veracruz

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. DAVID A says

      August 20, 2019 at 9:29 am

      Looks like fun… I think I have everything which is a plus… I’ll keep ya’ll posted!

      Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        August 20, 2019 at 1:10 pm

        Hi David. Let me know what you think. It’s a fun idea for a cocktail.

        Reply
    2. Abbe@This is How I Cook says

      May 18, 2017 at 5:45 pm

      I used to drink a lot of salty dogs but not one of them had saddle leather. That may soon have to change!

      Reply
    3. sue | theviewfromgreatisland says

      May 17, 2017 at 9:12 pm

      I love a classic Salty Dog, and this one certainly piques my interest!!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    I'm Lea Ann, A Culinary School Grad bringing you Wild West Colorado inspired recipes. You'll find lots of Southwestern, and Mexican food recipes, and some favorites from Culinary School along with pro cooking tips. If you're an adventurous home cook looking to spice up your meal plans, you'll find plenty of inspiration and reliable, approachable, easy to follow recipes.

    More about me →

    Reader's Favorites

    • Thick and Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe
    • Savory Oven Roasted Cast Iron Skillet Potatoes
    • Broccoli Cheez Whiz Rice Casserole
    • Crispy Baked Wings in Santa Fe Sauce

    Soups & Stews

    • Sherried Black Bean And Ham Soup
    • Easy Turkey Lentil Soup with Barley
    • Jacques Pepin’s Beef Stew In Red Wine
    • Creamy Southwestern Chicken Soup

    Taco Tuesday

    Super Bowl Game Day Recipe Ideas

    Dessert Recipes

    • Chile Chocolate Bourbon Cake with Chocolate Bourbon Frosting
    • Key Lime Pie Recipe – No Bake
    • Strawberry Tart Recipe with Lemon Cream Cheese Filling
    • Cherry Delight, No Bake Old Fashioned Cream Cheese Cherry Dessert

    Footer

    Featured in and partnered with

    Privacy Policy

    • Privacy Policy

    Accessibility Statement

    Copyright © 2023 Cooking On The Ranch • Privacy Policy

    • 217
    436 shares
    436 shares