Roy Rogers
A classic nonalcoholic soda-fountain drink: ice-cold cola sweetened with a splash of grenadine and topped with a bright maraschino cherry. It takes five minutes and looks great in a tall glass.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- —
- Total
- 5 min
- Makes
- 1 drink (about 10 oz / 300 ml)
Steps
Before you start
- Chill the cola in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours so it stays fizzy and doesn't melt the ice quickly.
- Use a fresh, unopened bottle or can of cola for the best carbonation.
- Pop a glass in the freezer for 10 minutes if you want an extra-cold drink.
Fill the glass
- Fill a 12-oz (350 ml) highball glass about three-quarters full with ice cubes, roughly 1½ cups (200 g).
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Ready when: Ice reaches about 1 inch below the rim.
Tip: Full glasses of ice melt slower than a few cubes, so the drink stays less diluted.
Add the grenadine
- Pour 1 Tbsp (15 ml) grenadine over the ice.
- If using, add 1 tsp (5 ml) of the cherry syrup for a deeper cherry flavor.
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Ready when: Red syrup pools around the ice at the bottom of the glass.
Tip: Measure the grenadine; more than 1 Tbsp makes the drink cloyingly sweet.
Top with cola
- Tilt the glass slightly and slowly pour in 8 fl oz (240 ml) cold cola down the inside of the glass, then straighten it as you finish.
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Ready when: Foam stops about ½ inch (1 cm) below the rim.
Tip: Pouring down the side keeps foam low and preserves fizz.
Stir gently
- Insert a bar spoon and give a single gentle stir from the bottom up, just enough to blend the grenadine into a red-brown tint with a deeper red glow near the bottom.
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Ready when: No streaks of grenadine remain, and the drink has a ruby-brown color.
Tip: Stir only once or twice; more will flatten the carbonation.
Garnish and serve
- Drop the maraschino cherry in, or skewer it on a cocktail pick across the rim.
- Serve immediately with a straw.
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Ready when: Cherry sits on top or just below the surface.
Tip: Drink within 10 minutes, while the cola is still fizzy.
Good to know
Tips
- Look for grenadine made with real pomegranate juice for a tart, fruity flavor rather than just sweetness.
- Add the grenadine first so the cola mixes it as it pours, with less stirring and less lost fizz.
- Make several at once by lining up glasses and pouring in the same order for each.
- Serve with a straw and tall glass so the red syrup stays visible.
Storage & reheating
Best served immediately. Leftover cola should be recapped and refrigerated for up to 2 days, though it will lose some fizz. Do not freeze the assembled drink. Make a fresh one rather than reheating or storing.
Substitutions
- cola → Diet or zero-sugar cola. Gives a lighter drink; the grenadine still provides sweetness.
- grenadine → Pomegranate syrup or cherry syrup. Use the same amount; pomegranate syrup is slightly tarter.
- cola → Ginger ale. This makes a Shirley Temple, a close cousin.
- maraschino cherry → Fresh pitted cherry or orange wheel. Provides a garnish if you have no maraschino cherries.
