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Our Shirley Temple recipe is a big hit with the littles. You can use our homemade sour cherry syrup or bottled grenadine, and make other customizations to suit your tastes. Here’s how to do it.
Why we love this recipe
My favorite thing about a Shirley Temple is the way it makes a kid’s eyes light up. With its sweet, fruity flavors and gorgeous jewel tones, this “special drink” is such an easy way to signal a special moment or a special occasion. Our version gives you the option of adding a bit of bright, seasonal nuance with fresh sour cherries.
I first published this recipe here back in 2018. I’ve updated the post for clarity and given you a few additional options in the recipe. You can learn more about the history of this drink here.
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- For the soda, you can use ginger ale (which is traditional) or a lemon-lime soda like Sprite or 7UP (increasingly popular in modern incarnations of this drink). If you’re so inclined, feel free to use an all-natural version.
- For the syrup, if you’re lucky enough to have sour cherries on hand, I highly recommend making homemade sour cherry syrup. It really levels up the flavor of this drink. If not, or if you’re serving very picky drinkers, good old grenadine (which is made from pomegranates) works great, too.
- To garnish, you can use fresh sour cherries or jarred or homemade maraschinos.
How to make it
Here’s what you’ll do to make a great Shirley Temple recipe. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- Place plenty of ice into a tall, kid-friendly glass.
- Fill it almost to the top with soda.
- Pour in the syrup.
- Garnish with cherries, add a fun straw if you like, and serve.
Expert tips and FAQs
Our twist on the classic incorporates sour cherries to give the drink a dimension beyond sweetness. If you’re using grenadine, you can also give the drink a nice tart edge by adding a couple of tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
This grownup-friendly version incorporates vodka. Use two ounces per drink.
It depends who you ask. One sure thing is that this version is also named after the actress/singer/dancer/diplomat/activist. And everyone seems to agree that this cocktail includes rum, though whether it’s light or dark varies by bartender.
Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess. Here’s one version, and here’s another.
Sure. If you like, you can mix a batch of Shirley Temples in a pitcher and pour into ice-filled glasses. For eight drinks, two liters (64 fl. ounces) soda and 2 cups (16 fl. ounces) syrup.
More favorite sour cherry recipes
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Sour Cherry Shirley Temple
Ingredients
- 2 fl. ounces, 1/4 cup/(60 ml) sour cherry syrup or grenadine
- 8 fl. ounces, 1 cup/(240 ml) ginger ale or lemon-lime soda
- Fresh sour cherries or maraschinos, to garnish
Instructions
- Place plenty of ice into a tall, kid-friendly glass.
- Pour in the soda.
- Stir in the syrup.
- Garnish with cherries, add a fun straw if you like, and serve.
Notes
- Sour Shirley variation: Our twist on the classic incorporates sour cherries to give the drink a dimension beyond sweetness. If you’re using grenadine, you can also give the drink a nice tart edge by adding a couple of tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Dirty Shirley variation: This grownup-friendly version incorporates vodka. Use two ounces per drink.
- Batch variation: If you like, you can mix a batch of Shirley Temples in a pitcher and pour into ice-filled glasses. For eight drinks, two liters (64 fl. ounces) soda and 2 cups (16 fl. ounces) syrup.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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