This Shirley Temple Mocktail is a famous mocktail that's non-alcoholic, quick, and easy to make and uses ingredients you have on hand (ginger ale, sparkling water, juice, and grenadine). This sweet drink is the perfect fancy drink for kids and a 'special drink' for New Year's Eve or celebrations of any kind!
This Classic Shirley Temple is popular all year long, but ideal as a non-alcoholic holiday celebratory drink for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve! It was the inspiration for my Green Grasshopper Mocktail.
My kids knew how to clink glasses before they could pour their own drinks and "cheers" was one of my daughter's first words. I know what that sounds like, but seriously, we're just really into celebrating stuff around here!
Holidays are a big deal and special drinks go hand in hand with holidays and special meals, right? And birthdays and Friday night movie night, backyard barbecues, and Wednesday... Anyway, I digress.
So it went like this (and still does), when Mommy got wine, the kids got THIS Shirley Temple Mocktail! Little did I know that it was to become a bit of a legend. Somehow this drink got dubbed "Mommy's special drink."
I guess that was meant to distinguish it from other drinks that mommy gave them that weren't so special (like boring ol' milk and juice); much in the same way that wine was known as "mommy juice" in our house for many years. And the name Shirley Temple wouldn't mean much to them anyway...
🥘Ingredient Notes
Back when I worked in restaurants, this is how I used to make a Classic Shirley Temple. You only need a few simple ingredients:
- Sparkling water (lemon-lime flavor). You can use any lemon-lime flavored carbonated spring water, Bubly, or Perrier water.
- Five Alive or orange juice. I use Five Alive because I love the flavor.
- Ginger ale or ginger beer. Ginger beer makes it spicier than ginger ale.
*See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Dirty Shirley (Shirley Temple Cocktail) - just add vodka! Dark rum can be substituted.
- Sparkling water - you could use lemon-lime soda instead and cut the amount of grenadine (just use a splash of grenadine syrup) or use club soda and add more grenadine or use more orange juice or ginger ale and less club soda
- Orange juice -you can also use a mixed berry juice or pomegranate juice.
- Grenadine - use a store-bought grenadine or make your own homemade grenadine
🔪How to Make a Shirley Temple Mocktail
Here's how to make THE BEST Shirley Temple:
Add 1 part sparkling water
Then add 1 part Five Alive or orange juice
Add one part ginger ale or ginger beer.
Add grenadine and stir with a straw.
Garnish with maraschino cherries on a skewer and orange slice. Serve with ice cubes
Expert Recipe Tips
- Adjust Sweetness to Taste. If you prefer a less sweet version, reduce the grenadine or swap ginger ale for club soda or sparkling water. Adding a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice can help balance the sweetness.
- Choose the Right Ginger Ale or Ginger Beer. For a milder, sweeter taste: Use classic ginger ale, and for a spicier kick try ginger beer, which has a stronger ginger flavor and less sweetness.
- Chill Ingredients Before Mixing. For the most refreshing drink, chill all your ingredients (ginger ale, juice, and sparkling water) before mixing. This reduces the need for excessive ice, which can dilute the drink.
- Layer for a Stunning Look. Instead of mixing everything at once, pour the grenadine last and let it settle at the bottom before stirring slightly. This creates a beautiful layered effect before serving.
- Garnish Like a Pro. Use skewered maraschino cherries for an elegant touch, and add a slice of orange or lemon on the rim for an extra citrus aroma. For a really fun twist, freeze cherries inside ice cubes for a decorative and flavorful addition.
- Make a Big Batch for Parties. If serving a crowd, multiply the ingredients and mix them in a large pitcher. Add soda or sparkling water just before serving to keep the drink fizzy. Serve in a drink dispenser with a ladle or spout for easy self-serve.
- Serve in the Right Glass. For a classic presentation, serve in a tall milkshake glass or highball glass with a fun straw. This enhances the nostalgic charm of the drink.
🌡️Storage
Store this Shirley Temple recipe for up to 5 days in a sealed juice container in the fridge. Store the garnishes separately.
👪 Serving Size
This Shirley Temple drink recipe makes 1 serving. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
❔ Recipe FAQ's
You can use pomegranate syrup instead of grenadine to make a Shirley Temple.
A Shirley Temple is a sweet drink that tastes a bit like a lemon-lime orange soda pop, with a hint of ginger and cherry.
Yes, in Canada, we add orange juice to our Shirley Temple drinks.
New Year's Eve is coming up and you can bet these simple, yet impressive kids' cocktails will be on the menu at our celebration. So, if you're looking for famous mocktail recipes with grenadine, for special occasions of any kind, this is THE ONE! Parents can also celebrate with a Dirty Shirley Temple if desired.
And if you're looking for a snack to go along with this fun mocktail, "Mommy's Special Drink" goes perfectly with Harvest Popcorn (Mommy's Special Popcorn).
And if you are looking for more kid-friendly mocktails, here's another non-alcoholic drink idea for kids (there's a little kid version too): my Cranberry Cosmopolitan Mocktail!
More Mocktails
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📋 Shirley Temple (Famous Mocktail Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 part sparkling water/lemon lime flavored carbonated spring water (3-4 oz)
- 1 part five alive or orange juice (3-4 oz) * I used Five Alive - you can also use a mixed berry juice
- 1 part gingerale or ginger beer (3-4 oz) *Ginger beer makes it spicier than gingerale
- 2 tablespoon grenadine *add more for desired level of sweetness
garnish
- 2 maraschino cherries
- 1 orange slice
Instructions
- Mix 1 part sparkling water (about 3-4 oz)
- Mix 1 part Five Alive or orange juice (about 3-4 oz)
- Mix one part ginger ale or ginger beer (about 3-4 oz)
- Add grenadine and stir.
- Garnish with maraschino cherries on skewer and orange slice. Serve with ice!
Notes
- Adjust Sweetness to Taste. If you prefer a less sweet version, reduce the grenadine or swap ginger ale for club soda or sparkling water. Adding a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice can help balance the sweetness.
- Choose the Right Ginger Ale or Ginger Beer. For a milder, sweeter taste: Use classic ginger ale, and for a spicier kick try ginger beer, which has a stronger ginger flavor and less sweetness.
- Chill Ingredients Before Mixing. For the most refreshing drink, chill all your ingredients (ginger ale, juice, and sparkling water) before mixing. This reduces the need for excessive ice, which can dilute the drink.
- Layer for a Stunning Look. Instead of mixing everything at once, pour the grenadine last and let it settle at the bottom before stirring slightly. This creates a beautiful layered effect before serving.
- Garnish Like a Pro. Use skewered maraschino cherries for an elegant touch, and add a slice of orange or lemon on the rim for an extra citrus aroma. For a really fun twist, freeze cherries inside ice cubes for a decorative and flavorful addition.
- Make a Big Batch for Parties. If serving a crowd, multiply the ingredients and mix them in a large pitcher. Add soda or sparkling water just before serving to keep the drink fizzy. Serve in a drink dispenser with a ladle or spout for easy self-serve.
- Serve in the Right Glass. For a classic presentation, serve in a tall milkshake glass or highball glass with a fun straw. This enhances the nostalgic charm of the drink.
Margot
I made this recipe with ginger beer, homemade grenadine and a little bit of lemon juice with soda water. It tasted really good however I would have preferred it to be a little bit less sweet so next time may use ginger ale instead.