Make a Shirley Temple
for your table
Fill a tall glass with ice cubes.
Pour the ginger ale and lime juice over the ice.
Pour the grenadine slowly down the side of the glass. This creates that pink gradient.
Finish with a cherry or two and a slice of orange.
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The story
The drink originated in 1930s Hollywood, probably at Chasen's. Child star Shirley Temple was sitting at a table with adults and wanted something festive in her glass too. By her own account, she found it “too sweet.” She even sued a soft-drink brand that wanted to use her name. That did little to help. Around the world, the Shirley Temple became the word for a children's cocktail. Now that mocktails are popular, many bars are upgrading it with fresh ginger and grenadine made from real pomegranate.
The right glass
Give a Shirley Temple a proper glass, a clear long drink glass holding 33 to 47 cl. A plastic cup defeats the whole idea, because it's all about being taken seriously. You can only really see the pink gradient and bright red cherry in clear glass. At a party, you can also serve it in a coupe with a straw. Find one in our champagne coupe glasses.
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The right tools
For a Shirley Temple, alongside the glass, you'll need a long bar spoon, a jigger for precise measuring, a citrus juicer, a zester for the twist, and long ice sticks. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; find them all in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
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What do you need to make a Shirley Temple?
To make a Shirley Temple, you need the right base. On each drink page, you can read about the alcohol percentage, how it tastes, which cocktails it works in, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
With grenadine made from real pomegranate and fresh ginger beer, you can make a 'craft mocktail' that adults will order too. Do the same with cola, and you have a Roy Rogers. Add a splash of vodka, and it’s called a Shirley Temple Black, and is no longer a kids’ drink. Want more? Check out over 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Use grenadine made from real pomegranate. It’ll be less candy-like and a lot more interesting, even for adults. Add a splash of vodka, and it’s called a Shirley Temple Black, after her name following her marriage.
Good to know
Ginger ale or 7-Up as the base?
The classic recipe uses 12 cl of ginger ale, and there’s a reason for that. Ginger’s slight bitterness balances out the 1.5 cl of grenadine. 7-Up or Sprite makes it sweeter and flatter. Milder, though, which is often more appealing to young children. That’s why many bars use half and half, 6 cl of each. For a version adults will order too, use a spicy ginger beer made with real ginger. It brings back the bite you can’t get from just a splash of lime juice.
The difference is in the grenadine
Grenadine is supposed to be pomegranate syrup. Most supermarket bottles contain mostly sugar, water, and coloring. Syrup made with real pomegranate juice is darker and more tart, much less candy-like, and gives the drink a prettier pink hue. You can also make it yourself. Heat 25 cl of pomegranate juice with 25 cl of sugar until the sugar dissolves, then let it cool. This makes enough for sixteen glasses. Stick to 1.5 cl per glass. Add more and the drink turns cloudy red, and you won’t see the layers anymore.
Shirley Temple Black and the Roy Rogers
This drink has two well-known cousins. Make the Shirley Temple Black exactly the same way, with 4 cl of vodka or dark rum added. It was named after the name the actress took after she married, and clearly doesn’t belong at the kids’ table. The Roy Rogers, named after the cowboy actor, uses cola instead of ginger ale, with grenadine and a cherry. All three are about the same thing: a soft drink served with care, with a garnish that really matters.
Shirley Temple for a children's party, made in a pitcher
For eight children, pour one and a half liters of ginger ale and the juice of two limes into a pitcher. Pour it into glasses filled with plenty of ice. Don’t add the grenadine right away, or you’ll lose the color gradient. Pour 1.5 cl down the side of each glass. Set out a bowl of maraschino cherries and orange slices, and let the children garnish their own drinks. Allow about 15 cl per glass, 12 cl of grenadine in total, and at least two rounds.
Shirley Temple: cocktail or mocktail?
It contains no alcohol, but you make it like a mixed drink. That’s why you’ll find the same Shirley Temple cocktail recipe under cocktails on one menu and mocktails on another. Technically, it belongs in the latter category, since there isn’t a drop of alcohol in it. So a Shirley Temple mocktail recipe is exactly the same; it’s just listed under a different heading. If you order a Shirley Temple drink at a restaurant, you’ll get ginger ale with grenadine over plenty of ice, topped with a cherry.
Dirty Shirley Temple or Black
The alcoholic version goes by two names that are used interchangeably. In American bars, you can order a Dirty Shirley, short for Dirty Shirley Temple. You’ll also hear Shirley Temple Black. The proportions barely change. Pour the liquor over the ice first, then add the soda; otherwise, you’ll ruin the color gradient as soon as you stir. American recipes more often use a citrus soda than ginger ale, which makes it sweeter. An extra splash of lime juice balances it out.
Frequently asked questions
What’s in a Shirley Temple?
You need 12 cl of ginger ale, 1.5 cl of grenadine and a splash of fresh lime juice. Pour it over plenty of ice, and top with a maraschino cherry and a slice of orange. Some bars use half ginger ale and half 7-Up, making it lighter and sweeter.
How do restaurants make Shirley Temples?
In a restaurant, ice goes into a tall glass first. The ginger ale and lime juice are poured over it, then the grenadine is slowly poured down the side. This creates the pink gradient that makes it recognizable. Finally, it’s garnished, with a bright red cherry at the very least.
Is a Shirley Temple an aperitif?
Many people drink it like this, but it’s really meant to be a proper non-alcoholic cocktail with a meal. Sweet and sparkling, it works well as a welcome drink. Make it with real pomegranate grenadine and fresh ginger lemonade, and it becomes drier and also works as an aperitif for adults.
What glass do you use for a Shirley Temple?
A clear highball glass, 33 to 47 cl. Never a plastic cup, because being served properly is half the fun of this drink. You can best see the pink gradient and bright red cherry in clear glass. Take a look at our highball glasses.
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