Dirty Shirley is a spiked version of the classic children’s drink, Shirley Temple. Easy to make and nostalgic with a twist, this drink is a grown-up treat with sparkling lemon-lime soda, grenadine, maraschino cherries, and a touch of vodka. The bright red color from grenadine makes this drink stand out, and it’s easy to make in large quantities for parties.
We’ll show you the perfect ratios to make Dirty Shirley in no time, tips and tricks for a skinny version with less sugar, and a homemade grenadine recipe.
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What is a Dirty Shirley Drink?
Dirty Shirley is an alcoholic take on the classic sweet drink mocktail (called Shirley Temple) made with lemon-lime soda (or ginger ale), grenadine, and a garnish of maraschino cherries. Vodka is added to the drink to make Dirty Shirley, and lemon-lime soda is usually used instead of ginger ale.
Why is it called the Dirty Shirley Drink?
The original drink was named after famous child star Shirley Temple. Legend has it that it was invented by a bartender at Chasen’s in Beverly Hills in the 1930s for little actresses so they could feel fancy at parties, and it’s been a huge hit ever since. Kids love feeling stylish too! The “dirty” part of the title comes from the addition of alcohol to the classic children’s drink.
It’s unclear who first decided to spike this classic drink, but it’s been enjoyed this way for years. She is also sometimes referred to as Shirley Temple Black, as that is her married name.
What type of vodka is best for Dirty Shirley?
There is no need to buy expensive products for this type of drink, so medium-grade vodkas such as Sveka, Tito’s or Smirnoff are perfectly suitable.
material:
Lemon lime soda: You can use Sprite or 7Up for this drink. Both have a classic lemon-lime flavor that pairs perfectly with the grenadine flavor. You can also add a citrusy accent by squeezing a fresh lemon or lime.
Grenadine: It adds a sweet cherry flavor to the drink. grenadine It also gives the cocktail a beautiful bright red hue reminiscent of the classic Shirley Temple. You can find this pomegranate syrup in the mixer section of most liquor stores (and grocery stores that carry alcohol). You can also order online. You can also make your own grenadine At home!
vodka: Vodka is a great choice for this drink as it has a more neutral flavor and can be added or reduced to make the drink stronger or weaker.
ice: Do you like it or not? stylish pellet ice cream, cube iceor pile ice from your refrigerator’s ice maker high and deep before pouring ingredients to keep drinks cold.
Cherries (for decoration): This drink isn’t the same without several glasses. maraschino cherry As an edible decoration! You can add it directly to your drink or skewer it with a slice of lemon or lime.
How to make Dirty Shirley:
- Fill a tall glass with ice (I usually use a highball glass, but you can use any glass you like).
- Pour in 1 ounce grenadine syrup
- Add 2 ounces of vodka to the glass
- Pour in 8 ounces of lemon-lime soda (or ginger ale) and stir gently.
- Garnish with maraschino cherries.
- enjoy!
Hints and Variations on the classic Dirty Shirley:
- For the skinny version, Choose lime sparkling water (or fresh lime or lemon juice squeezed into plain sparkling water) in place of soda, sweetened with grenadine if desired.
- Instead of lemon lime soda, Try replacing half the soda with ginger ale or use All ginger ale instead of lemon lime.
- If you don’t have grenadine, you can use maraschino cherry juice to get a cherry version.
- Instead of buying store-bought grenadine, try making your own simple grenadine and adjusting the sweetness ratio to your taste.
- If you don’t have grenadine, you can also use juice from a jar of maraschino cherries. This gives the drink a stronger cherry flavor along with a pink color.
To create a batch of Dirty Shirley:
If you’re hosting a party and want to make a large batch of drinks to easily serve a crowd, just add the following:
- 2 cups vodka
- 1 cup grenadine
- 8 cups lemon lime soda
- maraschino cherries for garnish
Add vodka and grenadine to a large pitcher. Stir to combine. Pour in the lemon-lime soda and stir gently. Pour into glasses over ice and add one cherry to each glass before serving. Serves 8 people.
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Add an alcoholic twist to the classic Shirley Temple drink with just a few ingredients.
Instructions
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put ice in the glass
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Add 1 ounce grenadine syrup
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Add 2 ounces of vodka
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Finish with 8 ounces of lemon-lime soda (or ginger ale).
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Garnish with maraschino cherries.
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enjoy!
Precautions
Variations on the classic Dirty Shirley:
- For the skinny version, Choose lime sparkling water Sweeten with grenadine in place of soda (or regular soda water with a squeeze of fresh lime), if desired.
- Instead of lemon lime soda, Try replacing half the soda with ginger ale or use All ginger ale instead of lemon lime.
- If you don’t have grenadine, you can use maraschino cherry juice to get a cherry version.
- Instead of buying store-bought grenadine, try making your own simple grenadine and adjusting the sweetness ratio to your taste.
- If you don’t have grenadine, you can also use juice from a jar of maraschino cherries. This gives the drink a stronger cherry flavor along with a pink color.
To create a batch of Dirty Shirley:
If you’re hosting a party and want to make a large batch of drinks to easily serve a crowd, just add the following:
- 2 cups vodka
- 1 cup grenadine
- 8 cups lemon lime soda
- maraschino cherries for garnish
Add vodka and grenadine to pitcher. Stir to combine. Pour in the lemon-lime soda and stir gently. Pour into glasses over ice and top with a cherry in each glass before serving. Serves 8 people.
nutrition
Nutritional information table
Dirty Shirley Recipe
Amount per serving
% daily value*
*Percent daily intake is based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Note: Nutritional information is automatically calculated using Spoonacular. We recommend using your own nutritional calculations if necessary.
Source: A Beautiful Mess – abeautifulmess.com