Classic cocktail · Guided recipe

Shirley Temple

The original kids’-table classic: a splash of grenadine under lemon-lime soda, finished with a cherry. Sweet, pink and nostalgic.

Preparation~2 minSuper easyStrengthAlcohol-free0% ABVMethodBuilt in glass5 guided stepsIngredients2Tall (highball) glass

Highball

In the glassGrenadine · Lemon-lime soda

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Make it with guidanceOne clear action at a time, with timers built in.

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What goes in

Ingredients

An empty clear highball glass with tall straight sides and a substantial base. — Serving glassHighball glass

Set up before you pour

Use a highball glass.

The tall, straight shape leaves room for plenty of ice and mixer while keeping a long drink lively.

Standard size: 350 ml11¾ oz
Ice & serve: Fill it with fresh ice cubes.
If you don’t own one: Use a Collins glass or any tall, straight-sided tumbler.

Tools to set out

jigger or measuring spoon

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Scale to your tall (highball) glassWe’ll remember this glass size.

Lemon-lime soda150 ml
Grenadine15 ml

Start making

From bottle to glass

Method

01
Ice the glass
Fill the glass with ice
02
Measure and pour
Pour 15 ml grenadine
- Grenadine
03
Top gently
Top with 150 ml lemon-lime soda
- Lemon-lime soda
04
Stir around the ice
Stir gently to combine
05
Finish the drink
Finish it — add a cocktail cherry and an orange slice

Know your drink

About the Shirley Temple

Three sophisticated alcohol-free cocktails made with herbs, berries, tea and citrus.

She never claimed it

Shirley Temple Black spent decades disowning this drink. She said she had nothing to do with inventing it, that it was far too sweet, and in one interview called it icky. At least three restaurants have claimed the invention: Chasen's and the Brown Derby in Los Angeles, and the Royal Hawaiian in Honolulu. None of it has ever been settled, and Hollywood in the mid-1930s is about as precise as the record allows.

Grenadine is doing all the work here, which is why most versions taste like cough syrup. Supermarket bottles are corn syrup, citric acid and Red 40 with no pomegranate in them at all. A real one lists pomegranate juice first, and the difference is tartness: it cuts the soda instead of piling more sugar on it. Half an ounce is plenty in a tall glass, and it should stain the ice, not turn the drink opaque.

Common questions

Shirley Temple FAQ

What is in a Shirley Temple vs a Roy Rogers vs a Dirty Shirley?

Shirley Temple: ginger ale + grenadine + cherry. Roy Rogers: the same idea over cola. Dirty Shirley: the grown-up version with a shot of vodka. All three live or die by using a light hand with the grenadine.

Is there any alcohol in a Shirley Temple?

Nothing — the Shirley Temple is completely alcohol-free, which makes it a great mocktail for drivers, kids and anyone skipping alcohol.

Is a Shirley Temple shaken or stirred?

A Shirley Temple is built directly in the glass over ice — no shaker required. Add the ingredients in order and give it a brief, gentle stir.

What glass do you serve a Shirley Temple in?

Serve a Shirley Temple in a highball (tall) glass, over fresh ice cubes.

How many calories are in a Shirley Temple?

One Shirley Temple has approximately 100 calories, estimated from the standard spec above. Bigger pours, extra syrup or sweetened mixers raise that number quickly.

Sharpen the technique