This Dirty Cocktail Is a Delight

The Dirty Shirley isn't just a grown up version of the popular Shirley Temple drink. It's also a refreshing cocktail that's super easy to craft at home in just five minutes.

Dirty Shirley and Vodka BottlePhoto by2foodtrippers

We may not have grown up when Shirley Temple was a Hollywood darling but we still have fond memories of the drink named in her honor. Just like the drink, our memories are simple and sweet.

When we were young, back in the 1970s, the Shirley Temple drink was something we imbibed at weddings and during family vacations. Crafted with ginger ale, grenadine and lime juice, those special occasion drinks were simultaneously sweet and tart. Plus, they had maraschino cherries added for good measure.

Color us surprised when we heard that a grown up version called the Dirty Shirley is now a hot summer cocktail. Once we got that memo, it didn't take long before we were sipping ruby red Dirty Shirleys at home.

What Is a Dirty Shirley Cocktail?

A Dirty Shirley cocktail is a grown up version of the non-alcoholic Shirley Temple drink.

It's a simple drink that requires just four ingredients plus ice. Like its inspiration, it's sweet, refreshing and ridiculously easy to craft without any special equipment.

History of the Dirty Shirley

The history of the Dirty Shirley dates back to the 1930s when bars looked to craft an alternative non-alcoholic drink for kids. The drink, typically made with ginger ale and grenadine, became an immediate hit that has since passed the test of time.

For later generations who may be unfamiliar, Shirley Temple was the IT child movie star of her time. She acted, danced and sang songs like On the Good Ship Lollipop. Her impressive roster of movies includes Heidi, The Little Princess, Bright Eyes and Curly Top.

While it's crystal clear that Shirley Temple didn't create the drink named in her honor, nobody knows for sure who actually invented the classic mocktail. Some cocktail historians trace the Shirley Temple's roots to bartenders at iconic Hollywood bars like Chasen's and The Brown Derby (both now closed). Others claim it was first served at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki.

At some point, bartenders and home mixologists started playing with the ingredients and adding alcohol to the mix. It's no dirty secret how the Dirty Shirley was born. It kind of just happened.

Ingredients

Good news! You probably already have all of the ingredients necessary to craft a Dirty Shirley at home. If not, you should be able to find the following items at a local market and/or liquor store:

• 2 ounces vodka
• 1 ounce grenadine
• 6 ounces lemon lime soda
• ice cubes
• 3 maraschino cherries (garnish)

Any vodka should work in this Dirty Shirley recipe. You can use your favorite bottle even it it's flavored. We choose to use unflavored Absolut Vodka produced in Sweden. It has a 40% ABV and mixes well in this and other cocktails.

However, we strongly recommend that you use Monin grenadine syrup unless you prefer to make your own grenadine syrup from scratch. The French company doesn't add any artificial colors or flavors to its bright red pomegranate syrup which makes it better than other commercial grenadine syrups.

How to Craft a Dirty Shirley

The first step in this recipe is to measure the vodka and grenadine syrup, immediately pouring each into a highball glass filled partway with ice.For this step, we use a Japanese jigger to ensure accurate measurements and avoid spillage.

Gently stir the vodka and grenadine syrup. We use a bar spoon but you can use any long spoon in your utensil drawer.

Top off the drink with lemon lime soda. You can use 7-Up, Sprite or your favorite brand.

Garnish with one, two or three maraschino cherries.

Variations

The Dirty Shirley just might hit your cocktail sweet spot. If not, here are a few variation which you may prefer:

• Add a splash of fresh lemon or lime juice to craft a tarter Dirty Shirley cocktail.
• Replace the lemon-lime soda with club soda or sparkling water to craft a less sweet Dirty Shirley cocktail. As a bonus, this variation has fewer calories.
• Replace the vodka with dark rum to craft a Shirley Temple Black cocktail.
• Craft a non-alcoholic Shirley Temple drink with ginger ale, grenadine, lime juice and a maraschino cherry.
• Craft a non-alcoholic Roy Rogers drink with cola, grenadine and a maraschino cherry.
• Craft a grown-up Orange Creamsicle with low-fat milk, orange juice, orange triple sec liqueur, orange zest and white chocolate vanilla cream liqueur.

This recipe was originally published on 2foodtrippers. Consider subscribing to 2foodtrippers if you enjoyed it.