The Shirley Temple recipe
for your table
Fill a tall glass with ice cubes.
Pour the ginger ale and lime juice over it.
Pour the grenadine slowly down the side for the pink gradient.
Garnish with a cherry - or two - and a slice of orange.
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The story
The drink was invented in Hollywood in the 1930s - probably at Chasen's - for child star Shirley Temple, who also wanted something festive in her glass during dinners with adults. The actress herself reportedly found the drink 'too sweet' and even once filed a lawsuit against a soft drink brand that wanted to use her name. It was to no avail: the Shirley Temple became synonymous with children's cocktails worldwide. With the modern mocktail wave, it is getting upgrades everywhere with fresh ginger and real pomegranate grenadine.
The right glass
Serve the Shirley Temple in a proper cocktail glass - a clear highball glass holding 33 to 47 cl - and never in a plastic cup: the feeling of being taken seriously is what this drink is all about. The pink gradient and bright red cherry call for crystal-clear glass. For an extra festive touch, you can also serve it in a coupe with a straw. For a festive serve with a straw instead of a tall glass, our champagne coupe glasses are also just the thing.
Bormioli Rocco Diamond Long Drink Glass 47 cl (6 pieces)
Arcoroc Islande Long Drink Glass 33 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets - together € 35,90.
The right tools
For a Shirley Temple, besides the glass, you use a long bar spoon, a jigger for precise measuring, a citrus squeezer, a zester for the twist and long ice sticks. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glassware set (our choice 01) + 5 bar tools - together € 91,70.
What do you make a Shirley Temple with?
For a Shirley Temple, you need the right base. On every drink page, you can read the percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works with and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
With real pomegranate grenadine and fresh ginger lemonade, it becomes a 'craft mocktail' that adults order too. A Roy Rogers is the same idea with cola. And with a splash of vodka, it becomes a Shirley Temple Black - but of course, that takes away the innocence. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Real pomegranate grenadine makes it less candy-sweet and much more interesting – for adults too. With a splash of vodka, it is called Shirley Temple Black, after her married name.
Good to know
Ginger ale or 7-Up: which base
The classic base is 12 cl of ginger ale, and that is not without reason: the light ginger bitterness keeps the 1.5 cl of grenadine in check. With 7-Up or Sprite, the drink becomes sweeter and flatter, but also milder, which often goes down better with young children. That is why many bars choose a half-and-half mix, so 6 cl of each. If you want a version that adults will order too, use a spicy ginger lemonade made with real ginger; it brings back the kick that a splash of lime juice alone cannot provide.
Which grenadine makes the difference
Grenadine is supposed to be pomegranate syrup, but most supermarket bottles consist mainly of sugar, water, and coloring. A syrup made with real pomegranate juice is darker, tarter, and much less candy-sweet, and it also fades more beautifully into pink. You can make it yourself too: cook 25 cl of pomegranate juice with 25 cl of sugar until the sugar has dissolved, then let it cool, and you will have enough for sixteen glasses. Stick to 1.5 cl per glass, because more will make the drink cloudy red instead of layered.
The Shirley Temple Black and the Roy Rogers
There are two well-known cousins of this drink. The Shirley Temple Black has the same structure with 4 cl of vodka or dark rum added, named after the actress's married name, and clearly no longer suitable for the children's table. The Roy Rogers follows the same idea with cola instead of ginger ale, plus grenadine and a cherry, and is named after the cowboy actor. All three revolve around the same principle: a soft drink served seriously, with a garnish that really matters.
For a children's party: in a pitcher
For eight children, mix one and a half liters of ginger ale with the juice of two limes in a pitcher, then pour it into glasses filled with plenty of ice. You will lose the color gradient if you pour in the grenadine immediately, so keep it separate and let 1.5 cl trickle 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 for about 15 cl per glass, 12 cl of grenadine in total, and at least two rounds.
Shirley Temple cocktail or mocktail
Non-alcoholic, but built like a mixed drink: that is why the same Shirley Temple cocktail recipe appears under cocktails on one menu and under mocktails on another. Strictly speaking, the latter is correct, because not a drop of spirits goes into it. A Shirley Temple mocktail recipe is therefore exactly the same word for word; only the category differs. If you order a Shirley Temple drink in a restaurant, in both cases you get ginger ale with grenadine over plenty of ice, finished with a cherry.
Dirty Shirley Temple or Black
The version with spirits has two names that are used interchangeably. In American bars, it is called Dirty Shirley, short for Dirty Shirley Temple, and the name Shirley Temple Black also exists. The composition changes little: the spirit is poured over the ice before the soda is added; otherwise, you immediately mix away the color gradient. American recipes also more often use a citrus soda than ginger ale, making it sweeter; an extra splash of lime juice keeps that balanced.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a Shirley Temple?
A Shirley Temple consists of 12 cl ginger ale, 1.5 cl grenadine and a splash of fresh lime juice, served over plenty of ice and garnished with a maraschino cherry and an orange slice. Some bars use half ginger ale and half 7-Up for a lighter, sweeter result.
How do restaurants make Shirley Temples?
Restaurants fill a tall glass with ice, pour in the ginger ale and lime juice, then slowly let the grenadine run down the side. This creates the pink gradient that makes the drink recognizable. Then comes the garnish: at least one bright red cherry.
Is Shirley Temple an aperitif?
It is often drunk this way, but it is primarily intended as a full-fledged non-alcoholic cocktail to enjoy at the table. Because it is sweet and sparkling, it works perfectly as a welcome drink; made with real pomegranate grenadine and fresh ginger lemonade, it becomes drier and also works as an aperitif for adults.
Which glass do you use for a Shirley Temple?
A clear long-drink glass holding 33 to 47 cl, and never a plastic cup: being served seriously is half the pleasure of this drink. The pink gradient and bright red cherry look best in crystal-clear glass; see our long-drink glasses.
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