Dirty Shirley
Updated
Updated
The childhood star grew up and so can the drink! A Dirty Shirley is the classic Shirley Temple drink with added vodka for adults. This easy cocktail is sweet, a little tart, refreshing, and so delicious. Whip up one drink, a couple, or make a big batch for a group!
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5 STAR REVIEW
The classic kid-friendly Shirley Temple Drink was born when the famous actress was young and couldn’t have the boozy drinks being offered at all the celebrity parties she attended. The mocktail is made up of common items typically found behind the bar appropriate for a kid – grenadine, soda, and maraschino cherries.
But Shirley Temple grew up and the drink did, too! No, a Dirty Shirley is not the actress covered in mud. It’s referencing the addition of alcohol in this cold pink bubbly drink. Typically made with plain vodka, but we use cherry vodka for even more flavor. It’s a sweet, slightly tart, refreshing and delicious well balanced drink made in minutes.
Helpful Tips and Variations
- Vodka. Plain vodka is traditionally used. We bump up the flavor even more with cherry vodka. You could also use vanilla vodka or whipped vodka for added flavor.
- Grenadine. This is reduced sweetened pomegranate juice, so basically pomegranate syrup. Even though grenadine is non-alcoholic, it’s usually located in the liquor aisle or near the club soda and typically comes in a 12 ounce bottle. The Torani brand has a pomegranate flavored syrup that can be used instead of grenadine.
- Maraschino cherry juice. Since you’ll already be buying a jar of Maraschino cherries for a garnish, you could use the juice in place of the grenadine for more of a sweet cherry taste, if preferred.
- Soda. Use Lemon-lime soda like 7Up, Sprite, or Sierra Mist. Or swap out the lemon-lime soda with some ginger ale, or do a 50/50 combo. It’s so good.
- Triple sec – For more of an alcohol kick, use triple sec in place of the lime juice.
Dirty Shirley
Ingredients
- Crushed ice
- 2 ounces cherry vodka
- 1 ounce grenadine
- 1/2 ounce lime juice, , fresh squeezed
- 4 ounces lemon-lime soda
- Maraschino cherries and lime wedges, , for garnish
Instructions
- Pour 2 ounces cherry vodka over ice in a tall glass.
- Drizzle 1 ounce grenadine and 1/2 ounce lime juice over the cocktail.
- Top the glass off with 4 ounces lemon-lime soda.
- Give everything a good stir.
- Garnish with a maraschino cherry (or two!) and a lime wedge.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!
Serving Suggestions
This drink is ideally served in tall, narrow collins or highball glasses and gently stirred to incorporate all the ingredients. You could also choose not to stir and maintain that beautiful layered looking effect.
If you’re having a big party, especially outdoors in the summertime, SOLO cups also work great. Depending on your guests and how strong you like the drink to be, feel free to adjust the ratios. If you are planning on increasing all the amounts for a group, we recommend a few things:
- Chill all the liquids first.
- Make the ice cubes with lemon-lime soda, instead of water – no watered down punch from melting (water) ice cubes!
- Wait until just before serving to add in the soda, since it will go flat within a couple hours.
Another option is to doctor up our Shirley Temple Party Punch with some alcohol.
More Easy Cocktails
- Sex on the Beach
- Blue Hawaiian
- Tequila Sunrise
- Sea Breeze Cocktail
- Mudslide
- Moscow Mule
- Mojito
- Bee’s Knees
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Yummy and easy. Loved the encouragement to be creative.
So easy to make and so good. Great for Valentine’s Day. And I will definitely be making these often during warmer weather!
Very good! Light and refreshing and different from anything I’ve tasted.
Back in the 60’s our family lived in New York. Our rather stuffy grandparents were visiting from out of state & we went to an upscale German Restaurant in NYC. My parents ordered Shirley Temple’s for my sister and me & my sister immediately gulped hers down through the straw. Not long after, she got really sleepy & fell asleep. The restaurant people allowed us to carry her upstairs where she could sleep after our dad took a sip of her Shirley Temple & discovered that it was a “Dirty Shirley Temple” No idea what the alcohol was, but my poor sister had quite the headache when she woke up, my parents were mortified & the restaurant paid for our dinner.
Lol. This story is amazing.
Delicious! I used to make shirley temples for my kids when they were little. Now they’re grown up and can enjoy the adult version with me. Will definitely be making this often.
LOVE the addition of cherry vodka!