A Dirty Shirley Temple is the adult-inspired version of a Shirley Temple, typically made with vodka, grenadine, and lemon-lime soda (or ginger ale), served over ice and garnished with a maraschino cherry. Here’s a straightforward recipe you can follow. What you’ll need
- Ice
- 1.5 ounces vodka per serving
- 1 ounce grenadine
- 6–8 ounces lemon-lime soda (like Sprite) or ginger ale
- Maraschino cherry for garnish
- Optional: a squeeze of lime for brightness
Steps
- Fill a tall glass with ice.
- Pour in the vodka and grenadine.
- Top with lemon-lime soda (or ginger ale) and gently stir to combine.
- Garnish with a maraschino cherry, and optionally a lime wedge or wheel.
Variations
- Adjust sweetness: use less grenadine or switch to a calorie-free/low-sugar soda if preferred.
- Fizzy texture: add the soda slowly to preserve some fizz.
- Flavor twists: try a splash of lime juice or a flavored vodka for a different profile.
Non-alcoholic version (classic Shirley Temple)
- Omit vodka entirely and follow the same steps with grenadine and lemon-lime soda for a kid-friendly mocktail.
Safety and substitutions
- If someone is avoiding vodka, skip it and treat as a classic Shirley Temple.
- For a stronger drink, increase vodka slightly, but keep the ratio balanced with grenadine and soda to maintain the drink’s characteristic sweetness and brightness.
If you’d like, share how many servings you need and your preferred soda (lemon-lime or ginger ale), and I can tailor the measurements.
