Shirley Temple
Ginger ale, grenadine and a cherry. Sweet, fizzy and very red.
- Time
- 2 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Highball
- Strength
- Alcohol-free
How to make a Shirley Temple
- Fill the glass with ice. Fill a highball right to the top with cubes.
- Add grenadine and lime. Pour the grenadine and lime juice over the ice. The grenadine will sink to the bottom as a red layer.
- Top with ginger ale. Pour the ginger ale in slowly down the inside of the glass.
- Stir and garnish. Stir gently once, about 3 seconds, so the colour shades from deep red at the bottom to orange at the top. Add the cherry.
- Glass
- HighballNo highball? Any tall glass.
- Ice
- Ice cubes
- Garnish
- A cocktail cherry (or two)Or: An orange slice.
What you need to make a Shirley Temple
Bottles we'd use
- Real grenadineLook for one that lists pomegranate juice rather than just sugar and colouring. Monin is easy to find.Find it on Amazon
- Ginger aleSchweppes or Fever-Tree both work; Fever-Tree is drier.Find it on Amazon
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The Shirley Temple story
Several Hollywood restaurants and hotels claim to have made the first one for the child actress Shirley Temple in the 1930s, and the story has never been settled. What is not in doubt is that it became the standard non-alcoholic drink for children in bars and restaurants.
The classic is ginger ale, not lemonade, with a measure of grenadine and a cherry. Real grenadine is pomegranate syrup, and the cheap red kind is just sugar and colouring, so check the label. A squeeze of lime stops it being cloying and makes it a drink adults will finish too.
Shirley Temple: your questions answered
What is in a Shirley Temple?
A Shirley Temple is made with 150 ml ginger ale and 15 ml grenadine. Garnish: a cocktail cherry (or two).
Is this Shirley Temple alcohol-free?
Yes. This Shirley Temple is made without any alcoholic ingredients, so it suits drivers and anyone taking a night off.
What glass do you serve a Shirley Temple in?
Serve a Shirley Temple in a highball over ice. No highball? Any tall glass.
