Remember being a kid at a restaurant and ordering a Shirley Temple because it came in a fancy glass with a cherry and made you feel like you were drinking something important? That fizzy sweet moment of feeling grown-up?
This is that but for Christmas. Ruby red. Bubbly. Topped with sugared cranberries and a rosemary sprig that looks like a tiny Christmas tree.
It’s the drink that makes kids feel included at holiday parties and gives adults who aren’t drinking something prettier than water with lemon.
Takes two minutes to make. Photographs like you hired a cocktail stylist. And if you want to make it boozy for the adults after the kids go to bed, there’s a version for that too.
Why This Works for Holiday Parties
Kids feel special. They’re not stuck with juice boxes while everyone else has fancy drinks. They get their own festive mocktail in a real glass with garnishes and everything.
Non-drinkers don’t feel left out. Designated drivers. Pregnant people. Anyone doing Dry January after New Year’s. They get something that looks and tastes celebratory instead of just sparkling water.
It’s ridiculously photogenic. That deep red color. The sugared rim. The green rosemary. It looks like Christmas in a glass.
Easy to scale up. Make one or make twenty. The recipe multiplies perfectly for a pitcher.
Converts to adult drinks fast. Add vodka and suddenly it’s a Dirty Shirley for the grown-ups.
Ingredients You Need
For one drink:
- 1 cup ginger ale (use good stuff like Fever-Tree or Canada Dry)
- 2 tablespoons grenadine
- 2 tablespoons cranberry juice (for that Christmas red color)
- Fresh lime juice, just a squeeze (optional but brightens it)
- Ice
- Maraschino cherries
For the sugared rim:
- Honey or corn syrup
- Coarse white sugar or sparkling sugar
For garnish:
- Fresh cranberries (sugared if you’re fancy)
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
- Lime wheels or orange slices
Ingredient Deep Dive
Ginger ale not lemon-lime soda. This is what makes it a Shirley Temple not just red fizzy sugar water. The ginger adds spice and complexity.
Use a brand with actual ginger flavor like Fever-Tree or Canada Dry. The cheap store brand stuff tastes flat.
Grenadine is pomegranate syrup not cherry. This is the most common Shirley Temple myth. Grenadine is made from pomegranates. It’s sweet and slightly tart with a deep red color.
Rose’s is the standard grocery store brand and it works fine. If you want to get fancy, Liber & Co or Stirrings make versions with real pomegranate that taste less artificial.
Cranberry juice makes it Christmas. Regular Shirley Temples are pink. Adding cranberry juice makes it deep ruby red which reads as festive and holiday-appropriate.
Use unsweetened or lightly sweetened cranberry juice not cranberry cocktail which is too sweet.
The cherries matter. Use maraschino cherries with stems if possible. Luxardo cherries are the fancy dark ones bartenders use. They taste like actual cherries not just red sugar.
But honestly the neon red ones work fine for kids who expect that specific artificial cherry flavor.
How to Make a Christmas Shirley Temple
Step 1: Rim the glass. Pour honey or corn syrup onto a small plate. Pour coarse sugar onto another plate.
Dip the rim of your glass in honey then in sugar. Rotate to coat evenly. This is optional but it makes it look fancy and adds a sweet crunch.
Step 2: Fill with ice. Use a clear glass so you can see the pretty red color. Fill it with ice all the way to the top.
Step 3: Add the liquids. Pour in cranberry juice first. Then ginger ale. Leave about an inch of space at the top.
Step 4: The layering trick. Slowly pour the grenadine over the back of a spoon so it sinks to the bottom. This creates that sunrise gradient effect where it’s darker red at the bottom and fades to lighter pink at the top.
If you just dump it in, it all mixes and looks muddy. The slow pour keeps it pretty.
Step 5: Add garnishes. Drop in 2 to 3 maraschino cherries. Add a lime wheel on the rim. Stick a rosemary sprig in so it looks like a little Christmas tree.
If you made sugared cranberries, thread a few onto a cocktail pick and lay it across the top.
Step 6: Squeeze and stir before drinking. Give it a gentle stir to mix everything together. Squeeze the lime wheel if you used one. The citrus brightens the whole drink and cuts the sweetness.
Make It a Dirty Shirley (The Adult Version)
The Dirty Shirley is having a moment on TikTok and bar menus. It’s just a Shirley Temple with vodka. That’s it. But it works.
How to make it:
Follow the recipe above. Before adding the ginger ale, pour in 2 oz of vodka. Stir. Then add ginger ale and grenadine as directed.
Best vodka for this: Plain vodka works. But if you want to get fancy, use vanilla vodka (makes it taste like a creamsicle) or whipped cream vodka (adds richness). Citrus vodka is good too.
Gin version: Use gin instead of vodka. The botanicals in gin play nicely with the ginger and pomegranate. It tastes more sophisticated and less sweet.
Rum version: White rum or spiced rum both work. Spiced rum makes it taste like a holiday punch.
The Roy Rogers (For Cola Fans)
This is the Shirley Temple’s cousin. Same concept but with cola instead of ginger ale.
Swap the ginger ale for Coke or Pepsi. Keep everything else the same. It tastes like cherry cola. Kids who don’t like ginger ale will prefer this version.
Garnish Ideas to Make It Fancy
Sugared cranberries:
Roll fresh cranberries in simple syrup then in granulated sugar. Let them dry on parchment paper for an hour. They look like frosted berries and add a tart pop when you eat them.
Rosemary sprigs:
Fresh rosemary looks like a mini Christmas tree. It smells good. And if you bruise it slightly before adding it to the drink, it releases oils that add a subtle herbal note.
Candied orange slices:
Dry thin orange slices in a low oven until they’re translucent and slightly crispy. They look like stained glass when you hold them up to the light.
Cinnamon sticks:
Use as a stirrer. Adds a warm spice aroma every time you take a sip.
Star anise:
Float one on top. It looks like a Christmas star and adds a subtle licorice scent.
Candy cane:
Classic. Hook it over the rim. Kids can stir with it and it slowly dissolves adding peppermint.
Make a Pitcher for a Party
Serves 8:
- 8 cups ginger ale (chilled)
- 1 cup grenadine
- 1 cup cranberry juice
- Juice of 2 limes
- Ice
- Cherries and garnishes for each glass
How to do it:
In a large pitcher, combine cranberry juice, grenadine, and lime juice. Stir. Right before serving, add ginger ale and ice. If you add ginger ale too early, it goes flat.
Pour into individual glasses. Add cherries and garnishes to each glass.
Pro tip: Freeze some cranberry juice in ice cube trays. Use cranberry ice cubes instead of regular ice so the drinks don’t get watered down as the ice melts.
Grenadine Substitutes (If You Can’t Find It)
Homemade grenadine:
Simmer 1 cup pomegranate juice with 1 cup sugar until sugar dissolves. Let cool. Keeps in the fridge for a month. Way better than store-bought.
Pomegranate molasses thinned with simple syrup:
Pomegranate molasses is too thick and tart on its own. Mix 2 tablespoons molasses with 2 tablespoons simple syrup. This approximates grenadine.
Cherry juice plus sugar:
Not traditional but it works. Mix 1/4 cup tart cherry juice with 2 tablespoons simple syrup.
Just use more cranberry juice:
Skip the grenadine entirely. Use 1/4 cup cranberry juice instead. It won’t be as sweet but it’ll still be red and festive.
Storage and Make Ahead Tips
Don’t pre-mix everything. Ginger ale goes flat. Mix the grenadine, cranberry juice, and lime juice ahead of time. Store in the fridge. Add ginger ale and ice right before serving.
Prep garnishes in advance. Sugar the cranberries the morning of your party. Cut citrus wheels and store them in a container with a damp paper towel. Wash and dry rosemary sprigs.
Rim glasses ahead. You can sugar-rim glasses an hour or two before the party. Just don’t stack them or the sugar will smush.
Ice matters. Use fresh ice. Old freezer ice tastes stale and will ruin your drinks.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using flat ginger ale. Check that your ginger ale is fresh and fizzy. Flat soda makes a sad drink.
Too much grenadine. Grenadine is thick and very sweet. More is not better. Stick to 2 tablespoons per drink or it tastes like cough syrup.
Forgetting the lime. The squeeze of lime is optional but it makes a huge difference. It cuts the sweetness and brightens everything.
Not stirring before drinking. The grenadine sinks to the bottom. It looks pretty layered but tastes unbalanced. Stir it before you drink so the flavors mix.
Using warm ingredients. Everything should be cold. Warm ginger ale and room temp cranberry juice make a lukewarm disappointing drink.
FAQ (Common Questions)
Can I make this in a pitcher?
Yes. Multiply the recipe by how many servings you need. Mix everything except ginger ale in the pitcher. Add ginger ale and ice right before serving so it stays fizzy.
Is grenadine cherry flavored?
No. This is the biggest Shirley Temple myth. Grenadine is pomegranate syrup. It’s red which makes people think cherry but it’s pomegranate.
The cherry flavor comes from the maraschino cherries you garnish with.
Can kids drink this?
Yes. It’s completely non-alcoholic unless you make the Dirty Shirley version. It’s just soda, juice, and syrup.
How do I make it less sweet?
Use diet ginger ale or sparkling water instead of regular ginger ale. Reduce the grenadine to 1 tablespoon. Add extra lime juice.
Can I use Sprite instead of ginger ale?
You can but it won’t taste like a Shirley Temple anymore. It’ll just be red Sprite. The ginger flavor is what makes it distinctive.
What’s the difference between a Shirley Temple and a Roy Rogers?
Shirley Temple uses ginger ale. Roy Rogers uses cola. Otherwise they’re the same drink.
Can I make this with sparkling water for less sugar?
Yes but you’ll need to add simple syrup or it’ll be too tart. Use 1/4 cup sparkling water, 2 tablespoons cranberry juice, 1 tablespoon grenadine, 1 tablespoon simple syrup, and lime juice.
Do I have to use cranberry juice?
No. Regular Shirley Temples don’t have cranberry juice. It’s just added here to make the color more Christmas-red instead of pink. You can skip it.
How far ahead can I make these?
Mix the grenadine, cranberry juice, and lime juice up to a day ahead. Add ginger ale and ice right before serving. Made drinks don’t keep because the carbonation dies.
Why This Beats Store-Bought Mocktails
Pre-made mocktails in bottles or cans are expensive and taste artificial. This costs maybe $1 per serving and tastes fresh and bright.
Kids notice the difference. They’ll actually drink this. Pre-made mocktails often get one sip and abandoned.
And the presentation is way better. No bottle looks as good as a sugar-rimmed glass with fresh garnishes.
Holiday Shirley Temple Mocktail
Equipment
- Highball Glasses (Tall glasses show off the bubbles best)
- Cocktail Spoon (For gently stirring)
- Small Plate (For the rimming sugar)
Ingredients
For the Rim (The “Snow”):
- 1 tbsp honey or simple syrup
- 2 tbsp coarse sparkling sugar or crushed candy canes
For the Drink:
- 1 ½ cups Ginger Ale chilled
- 2 oz 100% Cranberry Juice unsweetened prefers, but cocktail juice works
- 2 tbsp Grenadine syrup
- 1/2 lime juiced (about 1 tbsp)
- Ice cubes crushed ice is best for that retro vibe
For the Garnish:
- 2 sprigs fresh Rosemary
- 4-6 Maraschino cherries
- Optional: Sugared cranberries
Instructions
- Rim the Glass: Pour the coarse sugar onto a small plate. Dip the rim of your highball glasses into honey (or rub with a lime wedge), then dip into the sugar to coat the rim. Set aside.
- Ice It Up: Fill the glasses to the top with ice. Pro Tip: Use crushed ice if you want it to feel like a restaurant drink.
- The Base: Pour the Ginger Ale into the glasses, filling them about 3/4 full.
- The Holiday Color: Add the cranberry juice and fresh lime juice. Give it a very gentle stir.
- The Ombré Effect: Slowly pour 1 tablespoon of grenadine into each glass. Pour it right over the ice or the back of a spoon so it sinks to the bottom, creating a beautiful red gradient.
- Garnish: Smack the rosemary sprig against your hand (this releases the pine scent) and place it in the drink. Top with maraschino cherries and serve immediately!
Notes
- Make it “Dirty”: For an adult version, add 1.5 oz of vodka or white rum before adding the ginger ale.
- Pitcher Version: To make a batch for a party, combine 1 liter of Ginger Ale, 1 cup Cranberry Juice, and 1/2 cup Grenadine in a punch bowl. Add ice and lime slices just before serving to keep it fizzy.
- Grenadine Tip: Standard red dye grenadine works for the color, but for the best flavor, look for “Real Grenadine” made with actual pomegranates (or make your own!).
Davin is a jack-of-all-trades but has professional training and experience in various home and garden subjects. He leans on other experts when needed and edits and fact-checks all articles. Also an aspiring cook we he researches and tries all kinds of different food recipes and shares what works best.