Shirley Temple
The Shirley Temple is the original mocktail: snappy ginger ale poured over a glass packed with ice, tinted rosy-pink with pomegranate grenadine and crowned with a stemmed maraschino cherry. Built straight in the glass rather than shaken, it stays icy and fizzy instead of syrupy — the keys are refrigerator-cold soda, grenadine that is measured rather than glugged, and a single gentle stir so the bubbles survive all the way to the last sip.
Fill two tall glasses to the rim with ice, squeeze 1 1/2 teaspoons of fresh lime juice into each, add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of grenadine per glass, then slowly pour 240 ml (1 cup) of very cold ginger ale down the inside of each glass so the foam stays under control. Give each drink one gentle lift with a bar spoon to pull a ribbon of grenadine up through the soda, drop in a couple of stemmed maraschino cherries, and serve immediately with a straw.
- Start with refrigerator-cold ginger ale and a glass packed with ice — warm soda foams over, loses carbonation fast, and the drink tastes flat within minutes.
- Measure the grenadine (15 ml / 1 tablespoon per drink) instead of free-pouring; any more and the syrup buries the ginger bite in candy sweetness.
- Stir just once, from the bottom up — grenadine is denser than soda, so a single lift creates the pretty sunset gradient without knocking out the bubbles.
Equipment
- 2 highball or Collins glasses
- Jigger or measuring spoons
- Bar spoon or long iced-tea spoon
- Citrus press or reamer (for the lime)
- Cocktail picks or small skewers (for the cherries)
Ingredients
Drink
- 480 ml ginger ale, well chilled, or half ginger ale, half lemon-lime soda for a sweeter glass
- 30 ml grenadine, look for a brand made with real pomegranate juice
- 15 ml fresh lime juice, optional, but it keeps the sweetness in check
- 280 g ice cubes, large, fresh cubes melt slowest
Garnish
- maraschino cherries, stemmed ones look best
- lime wheels or orange half-moons, optional
Method
- STEP01
Make sure the ginger ale has been in the refrigerator for at least a few hours — cold soda holds its carbonation far better than room-temperature soda poured over ice. If you have a spare 10 minutes, park the glasses in the freezer too; a frosty glass buys you extra fizz time.
- STEP02
Halve the lime and squeeze out 15 ml (1 tablespoon) of juice, picking out any seeds. Thread 2 maraschino cherries onto each cocktail pick and cut a couple of thin lime wheels if using. Having the garnish ready means the finished drink goes straight to the table while it is still lively.
- STEP03
Fill both glasses all the way to the rim with ice cubes. A full glass of ice chills the drink faster and, counterintuitively, dilutes it less than a half-full one, because the soda stays colder and the ice melts more slowly.
- STEP04
Divide the lime juice between the glasses (about 1 1/2 teaspoons each), then measure 15 ml (1 tablespoon) of grenadine into each glass. Pouring the syrup over the ice first lets it settle to the bottom, which sets up the classic pink-to-amber gradient.
- STEP05
Tilt each glass slightly and pour 240 ml (1 cup) of cold ginger ale down the inside wall, pausing if the foam threatens to climb over the rim. Pouring down the side rather than straight onto the ice preserves the carbonation that makes this drink refreshing instead of flat and sweet.
- STEP06
Slide a bar spoon down the inside of each glass and give one slow lift from the bottom — just enough to draw a ribbon of grenadine up through the soda without fully mixing it. Rest the cherry pick across the rim, perch a lime wheel on the edge, add a straw, and serve immediately.
Make ahead
For a party, set up the glasses in advance: add the grenadine and lime juice to each glass, cover, and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. At serving time, fill with ice, top with cold ginger ale, give one gentle stir, and garnish. Cherry picks can be skewered a full day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.
Storage
A Shirley Temple is a build-and-drink beverage — once the soda is poured it begins losing carbonation, so a finished drink cannot be stored. The components keep well, though: opened grenadine lasts 1 to 2 months in the refrigerator, maraschino cherries keep for 6 months or more chilled in their syrup, and a tightly capped, opened bottle of ginger ale stays acceptably fizzy for 2 to 3 days in the fridge.
Variations
Dirty Shirley (21+)
Add 45 ml (1 1/2 fl oz) of vodka to each glass along with the grenadine before topping with ginger ale. It turns the childhood classic into a light, fizzy adult highball; keep the grenadine at 15 ml so it does not read as pure candy.
Lower-sugar Shirley
Use a zero-sugar ginger ale and swap the grenadine for 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of unsweetened 100% pomegranate juice per drink. You lose a little of the neon-pink color but keep the tart-sweet berry note, and each glass drops to roughly 15 calories.
Roy Rogers
The Shirley Temple's sibling: replace the ginger ale with cola, keep the 15 ml of grenadine and the cherry, and skip the lime. Deeper and more caramel-toned, it is the traditional pick for anyone who finds ginger ale too sharp.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
Frequently asked
What is a shirley temple drink made of?
The classic shirley temple drink is just three components: ginger ale, grenadine (a pomegranate syrup), and a maraschino cherry garnish, built over ice in a tall glass. This version adds a small squeeze of fresh lime juice, which is common in older recipes and keeps the drink from tasting one-dimensionally sweet.
Should I use ginger ale or lemon-lime soda?
The traditional base is ginger ale, and its slight peppery bite is what balances the grenadine. Many restaurants pour lemon-lime soda instead, which makes a sweeter, more candy-like drink. If your crowd is split, a 50/50 blend of the two is a genuinely good compromise — sweet up front with a ginger finish.
Is a shirley temple drink alcoholic?
No — the shirley temple drink is one of the original mocktails, reportedly created in the 1930s so a child could have something festive at the table. Every ingredient is alcohol-free. The boozy spin-off is the Dirty Shirley, which adds a shot of vodka; see the variations if you want an adults-only round.
What can I use instead of grenadine?
Make a two-minute homemade version: warm equal parts 100% pomegranate juice and sugar (for example 120 ml juice and 120 g sugar) until the sugar dissolves, then cool. It tastes brighter and fruitier than most bottled grenadine. In a pinch, the syrup from the maraschino cherry jar works, though it pushes the drink toward candy territory.
Why does my drink taste flat or watery?
Three usual culprits: the soda was not fully chilled before pouring, the glass was not filled with enough ice (a half-full glass melts faster and dilutes more), or the drink was stirred vigorously, which strips out the carbonation. Use cold soda, pack the glass with ice, stir exactly once, and serve right away.
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