Fresh grapefruit juice and vodka combine to make a cocktail known as The Greyhound. With sea salt hugging the rim, it becomes a Salty Dog. This version is spiced up with the addition of a simple syrup made from cracked black pepper.

black pepper simple syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Combine sugar and water in a saucepan; heat just to the boil. Remove from heat and add black pepper; let steep for 20 minutes. Strain and let cool completely. Makes 1 1/2 cups. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to one week.

cocktail
1 ½ oz black pepper simple syrup
1 ½ oz vodka
3 oz fresh grapefruit juice
Add the syrup, vodka and grapefruit juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake for about a minute; strain into a glass filled with ice.

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