Shirley Temple Drink
Updated Nov 02, 2024
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A quick 3-minute drink, this Shirley Temple is kid-friendly mocktail. See how to make it with just 5 simple ingredients.
A Classic Mocktail
The next time anyone at your party asks for a non-alcoholic drink (for kids or adults), make them a Shirley Temple. It’s refreshing, sweet, and looks fancy but super easy to make.
Shirley Temple is a popular mocktail (non-alcoholic mixed drink) that’s made with ginger ale, grenadine syrup (pomegranate flavored syrup), and garnished with a maraschino cherry. The drink is named after the famous child star Shirley Temple.
The grenadine syrup gives the drink a pretty red color and the ginger ale makes it fizzy and sweet. The pretty red-pink color makes it perfect for picnics, baby showers, and summer parties.
Note from Jee
With my Shirley Temple recipe, I made it a little more elevated by adding fresh lime juice, which brightens up the flavors of this tart and sweet drink.
I went through a few recipe tests, making sure it has the perfect ratio of ingredients for a balanced flavor. I hope you love it!
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Recipe Summary
- This Shirley Temple is a refreshing drink made of grenadine syrup, lime juice, ginger ale, ice, and a maraschino cherry.
- As a non-alcoholic drink, Shirley Temple is kid-friendly.
- The recipe makes 8 ounces, or 1 cup, and takes just 3 minute to prepare.
RELATED: Limeade
Ingredient Notes
- Grenadine: Grenadine is a syrup made of concentrated pomegranate juice. It adds sweetness, flavor, and color. Use a high-quality grenadine for the best taste.
- Lime juice: Freshly squeezed lime juice tastes better than the bottled kind.
- Ginger ale: The drink gets its fizziness from ginger ale. Use your favorite brand.
- Ice: If possible, use ice made with filtered water.
- Maraschino cherry: A classic garnish for Shirley Temple.
For full ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Fill a cup with ice, then add grenadine to the cup.
Step 2: Add lime juice.
Step 3: Add ginger ale.
Step 4: Garnish with a maraschino cherry. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Use fresh lime juice.
Bottled lime juice might convenient, but it’s not as good as fresh juice. It’s worth squeezing fresh, whole limes instead. A citrus juicer is helpful for making sure the juice is clear and smooth. A medium lime has about 2 tablespoons of juice, so you’ll need less than half a lime for this drink.
Make sure the ginger ale is fresh.
To avoid a flat drink, use ginger ale from a freshly opened can. If the bottle has been open for a while, the ginger ale will lose its bubbles.
Start with the grenadine to make layers.
For a pretty layered drink, add the grenadine syrup first. It’s the sweetest and heaviest ingredient, so it will sink to the bottom. The lime juice and ginger ale will stay on top of the grenadine, creating layers.
Canadian Shirley Temple
In Canada, the Shirley Temple is made slightly different by adding orange juice (!) and replacing the ginger ale with Sprite.
Expert Tips
- Grenadine is traditionally used in Shirley Temples, but you can also try it with strawberry simple syrup. It will add sweetness and color with a slightly different, less tart flavor.
- You can substitute the ginger ale and lime juice with lemon-lime soda like Sprite or 7UP.
- The drink will lose its fizz the longer it sits, so be sure to serve it right away.
Related
- Strawberry Lemonade
- 17 Fruity Iced Drink Recipes
- Strawberry Iced Tea
- Watermelon Lemonade
- Hibiscus Lemonade
If you tried this Shirley Temple recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ star rating and let me know how you like it in the comments below.
Shirley Temple
Ingredients
- 1 cup ice
- 1 tablespoon grenadine
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- ¾ cup ginger ale
- 1 maraschino cherry, for garnish
Instructions
- Add grenadine, lime juice, and ginger ale to cup with ice.Fill a cup with ice, then add the ingredients in the order listed.1 cup ice, 1 tablespoon grenadine, 2 teaspoons lime juice, ¾ cup ginger ale
- Top with a maraschino cherry.Garnish the drink with a maraschino cherry and serve immediately.1 maraschino cherry
Notes
- To avoid a flat drink, use ginger ale from a freshly opened can. If the bottle has been open for a while, the ginger ale will lose its bubbles.
- Bottled lime juice might convenient, but it’s not as good as fresh juice. Squeeze fresh, whole limes with a citrus juicer instead.
- For a pretty layered drink, add the grenadine syrup first. Follow with the lime juice and ginger ale, in that order, which will create layers.
- You can substitute the ginger ale and lemon juice with lemon-lime soda, like Sprite or 7UP.
- The drink will lose its fizz the longer it sits, so be sure to serve it right away.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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