Classic Shirley Temple
A bubbly, ruby-tinged mocktail built right in the glass: crisp ginger ale, a splash of grenadine for fruity sweetness, a squeeze of fresh lime to keep it balanced, and a maraschino cherry on top.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- —
- Total
- 5 min
- Makes
- 1 drink (about 8 fl oz / 240 ml)
Steps
Before you start
- Chill the ginger ale in the fridge for at least 2 hours so it stays fizzy and doesn't melt the ice quickly.
- Use a freshly opened bottle or can of ginger ale; flat soda makes a flat drink.
- Squeeze the lime just before building the drink for the brightest flavor.
Fill the glass
- Fill a 12-oz (350 ml) highball glass nearly to the top with about 1½ cups (200 g) of ice cubes.
- Full glasses keep the drink colder and slow dilution.
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Ready when: Ice reaches about 1 inch (2.5 cm) below the rim.
Tip: Use large, solid cubes rather than crushed ice, which waters the drink down fast.
Add lime juice
- Squeeze about 2 teaspoons (10 ml) fresh lime juice, from roughly a quarter of a lime, directly over the ice.
- Remove any seeds.
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Ready when: Juice pools at the bottom of the glass between the ice cubes.
Tip: Bottled lime juice tastes flat here, so squeeze it fresh.
Pour the ginger ale
- Tilt the glass slightly and slowly pour 6 fl oz (180 ml) chilled ginger ale down the inside edge.
- Straighten the glass as it fills to keep the bubbles.
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Ready when: Glass is about three-quarters full with the foam settled just below the rim.
Tip: Pouring straight onto the ice makes it foam over and lose fizz.
Sink the grenadine
- Slowly pour 1 tablespoon (15 ml) grenadine over the back of a spoon or down the side of the glass so it sinks and forms a red gradient at the bottom.
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Ready when: A ruby-red layer settles at the bottom and fades upward into the golden soda.
Tip: Check the label: real grenadine should list pomegranate, and the flavor is tarter and less sweet than red syrups made only of sugar and dye.
Stir gently
- If you want it fully blended, stir once or twice with a long spoon, just enough to turn the drink pink.
- For an extra cherry flavor and sweetness, stir in 2 teaspoons (10 ml) maraschino cherry syrup.
- Leave it unstirred for a layered look.
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Ready when: Drink is an even rosy pink, or still layered if you chose not to stir.
Tip: Stir only once or twice or the carbonation will go flat.
Garnish and serve
- Drop in 2 drained maraschino cherries and perch an optional thin lime wheel on the rim.
- Add a straw and serve right away while it is bubbly.
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Ready when: Cherries sit on top of or between the ice and the drink is actively fizzing.
Tip: Pat the cherries on a paper towel first so extra syrup doesn't cloud the drink.
Good to know
Tips
- Pour the soda gently and stir as little as possible to preserve the carbonation.
- Taste and adjust. Add another 1 to 2 teaspoons of grenadine for a sweeter drink, or an extra squeeze of lime if it tastes too sweet.
- Chill the glass in the freezer for 15 minutes beforehand to keep the drink colder for longer.
- To make a batch for a party, set out the glasses with ice, lime juice, and grenadine, and pour in the ginger ale for each guest just before serving.
Make ahead
Not recommended once combined because the soda goes flat. You can squeeze the lime juice up to 4 hours ahead and keep it covered in the fridge, and you can chill the glasses in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Storage & reheating
Best served immediately. Leftovers keep at room temperature for no more than 30 minutes and will lose fizz and dilute. Do not refrigerate or freeze the mixed drink. Keep unopened grenadine in the pantry. After opening, refrigerate it and use it within about 6 months, or per the label. Refrigerate leftover cherries in their syrup for several months.
Substitutions
- ginger ale → lemon-lime soda. Gives a sweeter, lighter citrus drink. Many people also like it this way. Use the same amount and reduce the grenadine slightly if it tastes too sweet.
- ginger ale → ginger beer. Spicier and less sweet. Use 6 fl oz (180 ml) and add 1 extra teaspoon of grenadine if you want more sweetness.
- grenadine → pomegranate juice plus simple syrup. Use 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pomegranate juice and 2 teaspoons (10 ml) simple syrup per drink for a less sweet, more natural flavor.
- fresh lime juice → fresh lemon juice. Use the same amount for a slightly softer citrus tang.
