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    Home » Blog » Beverages » Shirley Temple Drink

    Shirley Temple Drink

    Published: Jul 20, 2022 · Modified: Jan 9, 2023 by Aimee Mars · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Shirley Temple drink topped with Maraschino cherries and a lime wedge.

    Sparkling cherry and lime flavor swirl this refreshing bubbly beverage that childhood dreams are made of. This Shirley Temple Drink is made with maraschino cherries, splashes of grenadine, fresh-squeezed lime juice, and topped with ginger ale for one nostalgic beverage.

    Shirley temple drink with cherries and a lime wedge.

    Why You’ll Love this Drink

    Every Friday night is Family Fun Night in our house and we usually have pizza and a dessert, but occasionally we’ll also have fun drinks. I especially love to make a theme drink that’s simple like Fruit Punch or this Italian Soda Recipe, but I also fizzy festive ones like a Shirley Temple.

    This is the perfect party drink and is always a crowd favorite with kids and adults. It’s nostalgic and kids love to have something fun to drink too.

    Not only does everyone love it, but it’s also super easy to make with only a few ingredients. These ingredients are also easily changeable if you want to add a different flavor or try ginger ale versus 7-Up.

    This drink can easily be an adult beverage too if you’d like to add alcohol to it. It’s fun and festive for just about any event.

    Ingredients Needed

    Shirley temple ingredients in various bowls.

    Ingredient Notes

    • Grenadine: this pomegranate-flavored syrup brings a beautiful red color as well as adds a sweet touch. It can be found in most grocery stores.
    • Lime Juice: I love to add fresh lime juice to this drink because it gives it a fresher taste and a bit of an extra tangy flavor.
    • Soda: You have your choice of soda for this mixture and can use Ginger Ale, Sprite, or 7-Up. My preference is ginger-ale.
    • Maraschino Cherries: These are a key fun ingredient and are garnish that makes this drink pretty. You can also add a peel of orange for some additional color.

    Recipe Variations

    You can change up the ingredients to come up with a slightly different flavor or an entirely different beverage altogether.

    • Make it alcoholic: you can turn this childhood beverage into a Dirty Shirley Temple too by adding alcohol. Some delicious options are rum, vodka, or tequila.
    • Roy Rogers: by switching the ginger ale or Sprite with Coca-cola you’ll have an entirely new fun beverage with a slightly different taste.
    • Change the juice: instead of using grenadine, you can use grape juice or cherry juice, which will change the flavor significantly but also taste great.

    I love fizzy drinks like this one as well as this Strawberry Basil Mojito, which can also be made non-alcoholic by swapping the rum for a sparkling beverage.

    Which Grenadine to Use

    Since there aren’t many ingredients in this recipe I recommend using higher quality ones to get the best flavor. This is also why I like to use freshly squeezed lime juice. This fun grenadine is one of my favorites to use. Usually, you can find this common grenadine brand in most grocery stores though.

    Fun Fact: there are conflicting stories are where this cocktail was created and who it was indeed created for. Most think the drink was created for the actress Shirley Temple herself, but she confirmed many years ago that it was Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood. There’s a fun conversation starter over drinks.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Shirley temple drink process steps 1 and 2.
    1. Add ice. Fill two tall glasses or high ball glasses with ice (preferably crushed ice).
    2. Begin layering ingredients. Divide the grenadine between the two glasses.
    Shirley Temple drink process steps 3 and 4.
    1. Pour in the final ingredients. Top with the freshly squeezed lime juice and ginger ale or other preferred soda. Don’t mix the ingredients so the layers stay intact.
    2. Garnish. Add the Maraschino cherries for a garnish and for extra color add a lime wedge or orange peel.

    Recipe Notes and Tips

    • Use crushed ice or ice nuggets instead of cubed ice which will keep the beverage super chilly.
    • These drinks are best assembled one at a time to achieve the beautiful ombré layers of each ingredient.
    • If making a large batch you can mix all the ingredients together except the ginger ale. Then when ready to serve divide the Shirley Temple mixture between the glasses and then top with the ginger ale or Sprite. Follow the directions for layering though so you can have a beautiful pitcher or punch bowl full just like each glass.
    • To make a healthier version of this beverage you can substitute soda for sparkling water.
    • Want to make a Dirty Shirley Drink then add some of your favorite alcohol. Great options or rum and vodka.

    FAQs

    Can I substitute grenadine for something else?

    Of course, and that’s the beauty of this drink. You could easily use the juice from the Maraschino cherries, try POM juice or even a pomegranate-flavored syrup.

    Can this be made into a punch?

    Yes! To turn this recipe into a punch triple it and pour it into a punch bowl. I recommend adding some sorbet to the bowl or even about 1 cup or 2 of orange juice.

    Shirley Temple drinks topped with Maraschino cherries.

    Related Recipes

    • Homemade Grenadine Syrup
    • Quick Raspberry Simple Syrup
    • Strawberry Simple Syrup
    • Korean Strawberry Milk

    If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a photo and tag me on Instagram using @AimeeMarsLiving and #AimeeMars.

    Shirley temple drink with cherries and a lime wedge.

    Shirley Temple Drink

    Sparkling cherry and lime flavor swirl this refreshing bubbly beverage that childhood dreams are made of. This Shirley Temple Drink is made with maraschino cherries, splashes of grenadine, fresh-squeezed lime juice, and topped with ginger ale for one nostalgic beverage.
    5 from 11 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Drinks
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 2 Drinks
    Calories: 161kcal
    Author: Aimee Mars

    Equipment

    • Measuring Cup
    • High Ball Glasses
    • Fun Straws optional

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup Ice Cubes
    • 2 ounces Grenadine
    • 2 ounces Lime Juice freshly squeezed
    • 6 ounces Ginger Ale
    • ¼ cup Maraschino Cherries

    Instructions

    • Fill a tall glass or a high ball glass with ice cubes and divide the grenadine between each glass.
    • Layer the freshly squeezed lime juice on top and then top with the ginger ale.
    • Garnish with the Maraschino cherries and add a lime wedge or orange peel too for extra color.

    Notes

    • Use crushed ice or ice nuggets instead of cubed ice which will keep the beverage super chilly.
    • These drinks are best assembled one at a time to achieve the beautiful ombré layers of each ingredient.
    • If making a large batch you can mix all the ingredients together except the ginger ale. Then when ready to serve divide the Shirley Temple mixture between the glasses and then top with the ginger ale or Sprite. Follow the directions for layering though so you can have a beautiful pitcher or punch bowl full just like each glass.
    • To make a healthier version of this beverage you can substitute soda for sparkling water.
    • Want to make a Dirty Shirley Drink then add some of your favorite alcohol. Great options or rum and vodka.
     

    Recipe Variations

    You can change up the ingredients to come up with a slightly different flavor or an entirely different beverage altogether.
    • Make it alcoholic: you can turn this childhood beverage into a Dirty Shirley Temple too by adding alcohol. Some delicious options are rum, vodka, or tequila.
    • Roy Rogers: by switching the ginger ale or Sprite with Coca-cola you’ll have an entirely new fun beverage with a slightly different taste.
    • Change the juice: instead of using grenadine, you can use grape juice or cherry juice, which will change the flavor significantly but also taste great.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1drink | Calories: 161kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 21mg | Potassium: 48mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 27IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 0.3mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @AimeeMarsLiving or tag #AimeeMarsLiving!

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