A salty dog is a cocktail made with gin or vodka and grapefruit juice, served in a highball glass with a salted rim. The salt distinguishes it from the related greyhound. It is traditionally made with gin and is believed to date back to the 1920s.
Most modern recipes call for about two parts gin or vodka to four parts grapefruit juice, served in a salt-rimmed glass.
The salty dog is a favorite drink of Artie (the producer played by Rip Torn) on the sitcom The Larry Sanders Show. Artie made it with vodka.