The Shirley Temple drink is an easy mocktail to master—it only requires a few ingredients and a few minutes to make. The drink is named after Shirley Temple, a celebrity who achieved fame very young. She attended parties with celebrities of the time, but owing to her age, she couldn't drink alcohol–so this drink was invented for her. 

Shirley Temple is one of the to-go drinks for young people because it’s sweet but versatile. For example, it can be made with sugar-free syrup, or the ginger ale can be replaced with lemon-lime soda.

Common Ingredients in a Shirley Temple

Grenadine is one of the ingredients that should be present in a Shirley Temple mocktail. It’s made of pomegranate juice and sugar and is mostly sold in liquor stores, despite containing no alcohol. If you prefer, you can switch grenadine with Torani syrup.

How to Make a Shirley Temple

If you’ve been wondering how to make a Shirley Temple, you’ll be happy to know it’s quite easy. It only takes a few minutes as long as you have the right ingredients:

• Add a few ice cubes to a glass
• Pour one ounce of grenadine
• Add four ounces of ginger ale and four ounces of lemon-lime soda–you can also use eight ounces of one or the other
• Use maraschino cherries to garnish, and enjoy

These are the basics, but there isn't a wrong or right way of making the drink. It all depends on how you like it.

Dirty Shirley Temple

A Shirley Temple can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. If you love cocktails, you should consider making a Shirley Temple with alcohol–all you need to do is add vodka to a Shirley Temple. Simply follow the directions above and add the desired amount of vodka. 

Roy Rogers Drink

A Roy Rogers is similar to a Shirley Temple—the difference is that ginger ale and lemon-lime soda are substituted with Coca-Cola.

Shirley Temple Party Punch

As the name suggests, party punch comes in handy when you’re having a large party. Follow the recipe for a Shirley Temple, then add orange juice to taste. Of course, be sure to make enough for a large gathering, and add as much alcohol as you or your guest would prefer!

Final Thoughts

A Shirley Temple mocktail can be enjoyed by both children and adults–this drink is sweet and flexible, so you can adjust the ingredients as preferred and add whichever spirit tastes best to you.