Shirley Temple Drink Recipe (with Orange Juice)

Why I love Shirley Temples

Yes, yes. I know the tradiditonal Shirley Temple drink is totally a child’s drink.

Really, I do.

But for me it comes with such happy memories. Memories of eating out on holidays with my family and visiting with my grandma at her downtown Toronto apartment.

Shirley Temples also happen to be a favorite of my kids. Our girls especially. 

What is a Shirley Temple?

A Shirley Temple is typically a non-alcoholic drink, likely created for and named after the young child actress, Shirley Temple. Ironically, she apparently didn’t like the drink, saying in interviews that it was too sweet! 

I created this recipe to have at home because I’ve noticed something lately when we order Shirley Temples at a restaurant. There’s no orange juice. Just lemon lime soda and grenadine. Which is totally weird to me. There was always orange juice when I was growing up.

When to Serve a Shirley Temple Drink?

Shirley Temples are a fun drink to have a birthday parties, backyard BBQs, or an other special occassion. We often make them as a special treat when we can’t go out somewhere to celebrate an event with the kids.

What is IN a Shirley Temple?

In a very simple version of a Shirley Temple there’s only ice, ginger ale (or a lemon/lime soda) and grenadine.

In the version I prefer, there’s ice, orange juice, Sprite or 7UP and grenadine.

Of course most Shirley Temple drinks are served with a garnish of maraschino cherries and half an orange slice on a little cocktail skewer.

If you’re feeling really fancy, you can even top your Shirley Temple with whipped cream!

What is Grenadine?

Originally grenadine was made from a base of pomegranate juice with sugar added. Most store-bought grenadine syrups are usually all sweetness made from high-fructose corn syrup, citric acid and red food coloring.

How to Make Homemade Grenadine

To make homemade grenadine mix on part pomegranate juice, with two parts sugar. If. you like you can add lemon juice to taste.

Where to get grenadine

Typically we’ve purchased our grenadine at the grocery store in the juice and soda aisle. But if your local liquor store carries club soda or other mixes, they may carry grenadine as well.

How long will grenadine keep?

If you keep the grenadine in the fridge it will last 3-4 months before going bad.

Can I substitute grenadine?

Yes! You can use Torani’s pomegranate syrup or use the juice from the maraschino cherry jar in place of grenadine in your Shirley Temple recipe.

Basic Shirley Temple Drink Recipe

Shirley Temples are one of the easiest mocktails to make!

• Place ice cubes into your glass of choice.
• Pour a small amount of grenadine in a glass (about 1 ounce, adjust to taste).
• Top with 8 ounces of ginger ale, lemon lime soda (Sprite or 7UP) or a combination.
• Garnish with marschino cherries and enjoy!

Shirley Temple Recipe Video Tutorial

If you want to see how I make Shirley Temples in our kitchen, check out the video below:

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