Shirley Temple is a virgin cocktail or alcohol-free drink made with ginger ale and grenadine syrup.

Shirley Temple

What is Shirley Temple?

Shirley Temple is a virgin cocktail or alcohol-free drink made with ginger ale and grenadine syrup. The mocktail has a signature red color and is often served at bars for teetotalers or children. It has a sweet taste with hints of the sharpness of ginger.

  • The drink is named after the famous child actress Shirley Temple.
  • The male version of this drink is called Roy Rogers and uses Coca Cola instead of grenadine.

The top 10 most popular mocktails include:

  • Margarita Mocktail
  • Virgin Mojito
  • Piña Colada Mocktail
  • Lime Rickey
  • Virgin Strawberry Daiquiri
  • Shirley Temple
  • Non-Alcoholic Mimosa
  • Virgin Mary
  • Arnold Palmer
  • Cherry Lime Rickey

Origin of shirley temple

The first version of this drink was both prepared for and named after the actress herself. As a child actress, she had already made a name for herself by her tenth birthday. Celebrating with her family at a restaurant called Chasen’s in 1938, a bartender created this drink specially for her. Unfortunately, the actress did not much like the drink as she found it too sweet.

Nutrition

Nutritional profile for Shirley Temple (1 glass):

Ginger contains anti-inflammatory and immune-nutrition properties, which can help in reducing fatigue, inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and digestive health. In addition, ginger can  help in combating various types of cancer and cell-related diseases. Though the pomegranates in the grenadine syrup may help in preventing or reducing certain conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, oxidative stress, hyperglycemia, and inflammation, the high sugar content may be a concern.

This cocktail also contains a decent quantity of sugar from both the ingredients, which can lead to detrimental effects when consumed in excess. These range from obesity and diabetes to heart and liver diseases, as well as cognitive decline. Hence, it is best to consume Shirley Temples in moderation.

Commercial production

The traditional Shirley Temple uses just two ingredients: ginger ale and grenadine syrup. Both are added to a glass and stirred. The garnish is usually a maraschino cherry or a slice of orange. Over time, Sprite or 7-Up has become an acceptable alternative for ginger ale. In addition, people often add orange juice, lime juice, or lemon juice for some citrusy freshness. This virgin cocktail is usually served in a highball glass.

Shirley temple recipes

This drink has many versions. Here are some recipes to try:

FDA regulations

The FDA has strict regulations regarding the content of soft drinks to ensure that they are safe, sanitary, and properly labeled. There are no grade standards for ginger root specified by either the FDA or USDA but Hawaiian grade standards are taken as a guide. However, grenadine is defined as a syrup or beverage obtained from fruit juices and sugar syrup, in which the characteristic flavor may be obtained from a mixture of blackcurrant juice and other fruit juices.

References

Mashhadi, Nafiseh Shokri et al. “Anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of ginger in health and physical activity: review of current evidence.” International journal of preventive medicine vol. 4,Suppl 1 (2013): S36-42., https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3665023 

Zarfeshany, Aida et al. “Potent health effects of pomegranate.” Advanced biomedical research vol. 3 100. 25 Mar. 2014, doi:10.4103/2277-9175.129371, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4007340/