Salty Shiba (Shiba Dog) Cocktail Recipe

Not every dog owner can say that they have a cocktail drink named after the breed of dog that they own.  (Although there are more out there than you think!)  But if you are a Shiba Inu owner, Salty Shiba is a cocktail drink that you might enjoy as much as you enjoy your dog.  Or, even if you don’t know what Shiba Inu is, it’s a great refreshing cocktail drink that you can make with Japanese sake.

This is based on the Salty Dog cocktail, which is made with gin or vodka and grapefruit juice with salt around the rim. 

If you make Salty Dog, with gin/vodka without the salt rim, it’s called the Greyhound.

If you make Salty Dog, but with tequila instead of gin/vodka, it’s called the Salty Chihuahua.

So…if you make Salty Dog, but with Japanese sake instead of gin/vodka, you get yourself…that’s right, the Salty Shiba! 

The original recipe came from Hakushika Brewery. And they had named it the Shiba Dog, which is a simple name change from the Salty Dog.  But since the official name of the dog breed in the U.S. is “Shiba Inu” and “Inu” means “Dog” in Japanese, I’m calling this the “Salty Shiba” just to distinguish it from the dog breed itself.  I also used ruby red grapefruit juice instead to give it that fawny color that reminds me of red Shiba Inu’s soft, dense fur. 

I would have used Hakushika sake to make this cocktail just to honor the origin of it.  But we live in Ohio and the selection of sake isn’t so great.  So, you can use any other basic sake to make this cocktail.

Related article: Check out some of the best selections of sakes under $15 we found that you can use for cocktails!

Salty Shiba Cocktail Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 part Japanese sake
• 2 part ruby red grapefruit juice
• Coarse salt (such as coarse Kosher, sea salt or Margarita salt)
• Ice cubes

Garnish: (optional)

• Wedge of grapefruit, lemon or lime

Glass:

• Highball or old-fashioned 

Instructions:

• Moisten rims of highball or old-fashioned glasses with water or with the garnish fruit.
• Salt the rims.
• Fill glasses with ice cubes.
• Pour Japanese sake over ice.
• Pour grapefruit juice over sake.
• Gently mix, garnish and serve.

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