The recipe
for your table
Fill a tall glass with ice cubes.
Pour the ginger ale and lime juice over it.
Let the grenadine slowly run down the side for the pink gradient.
Garnish with a cherry - or two - and a slice of orange.
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 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 boom, it is getting upgrades everywhere with fresh ginger and real pomegranate grenadine.
The right glass
Serve the Shirley Temple in a real cocktail glass - a clear highball glass of 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 Highball Glass 47 cl (6 pieces)
Arcoroc Islande Highball Glass 33 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets - together € 35,90.
The right tools
For a Shirley Temple, besides the glass, you’ll need a jigger for precise measuring, a citrus juicer, and glass straws. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you’ll find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 3 bar tools - together € 60,80.
Variations & twists
With real pomegranate grenadine and fresh ginger soda, it becomes a 'craft mocktail' that adults will order too. A Roy Rogers follows the same idea with cola. And with a splash of vodka, it becomes a Shirley Temple Black - but then, of course, the innocence is gone. 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’s called a Shirley Temple Black, by the way, named after her married name.
Ginger ale or 7-Up: which base
The classic base is 12 cl of ginger ale, and that’s not without reason: its gentle 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’s why many bars choose half and half: 6 cl of each. If you want a version that adults will order too, use a spicy ginger soda with real ginger; it brings back the sharpness that a splash of lime juice alone can’t deliver.
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, more tart, and much less candy-sweet, and it also fades to a more attractive pink. You can make it yourself too: simmer 25 cl pomegranate juice with 25 cl sugar until the sugar has dissolved, then let it cool, and you’ll have enough for sixteen glasses. Stick to 1.5 cl per glass, because more will make the drink cloudy red instead of layered.
Shirley Temple Black and Roy Rogers
There are two well-known cousins of this drink. The Shirley Temple Black has the same composition with 4 cl of vodka or dark rum added, named after the actress's married name, and clearly no longer intended 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 that is served seriously, with a garnish that genuinely matters.
For a children's party: in a pitcher
For eight children, mix 1.5 liters of ginger ale with the juice of two limes in a pitcher, then pour it over glasses filled with plenty of ice. You will lose the gradient if you pour in the grenadine right away, so keep it separate and let 1.5 cl run 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 approximately 15 cl per glass, 12 cl of grenadine in total and at least two rounds.
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 a slice of orange. 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 let the grenadine slowly 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 alcohol-free cocktail for the table. Because it is sweet and fizzy, 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 highball glass of 33 to 47 cl, and never a plastic cup: being served seriously is half the enjoyment of this drink. The pink gradient and bright red cherry look their best in crystal-clear glass; see our highball glasses.
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