Dirty Shirley Cocktail

Meggan Hill

• Updated

5 from 86 votes

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A Dirty Shirley cocktail is the grown-up version of your favorite mocktail, the Shirley Temple. Made with grenadine and lemon-lime soda, it has the same fruity taste you love along with a kick from vodka.

Dirty Shirley cocktails in two clear glasses.


 

Table of Contents

  1. Recipe ingredients
  2. Ingredient notes
  3. Instructions
  4. Recipe tips and variations
  5. Dirty Shirley Cocktail Recipe

Recipe ingredients

Dirty shirley ingredients in various bowls.

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

  • Vodka: Use plain vodka or substitute a cherry-flavored brand such as Smirnoff, Three Olives, Svedka, Pinnacle, UV, or Skyy. Grenadine is not made from cherries, but the flavor works.
  • Grenadine. A deep red, pomegranate-flavored syrup.
  • Soda: White soda such as Sprite or 7UP is common. For a more traditional approach, substitute ginger ale (you could add a splash of orange juice, too).
  • Cocktail Glass: I love using these elevated Old Fashioned glasses from Marquis by Waterford. They’re $60 on Amazon, but you can also check out some of my other favorite cocktail glasses.

Instructions

  • Fill a glass with ice, then add 2 ounces (¼ cup) vodka and 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) grenadine. Top with soda, then garnish with a maraschino cherry.
Lemon lime soda being poured over grenadine in a clear glass.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This recipe makes one cocktail.
  • Skinny: Use diet lemon-lime soda in place of the regular.
  • Shirley Temple: The classic version is made without vodka.
  • Cherry juice: It’s not the same as grenadine, but using the maraschino cherry juice from the jar tastes good too (and also makes a pink drink).
  • Dirty Shirley Punch, makes a batch of 8 (6-ounce) cocktails:
    • 2 cups vodka
    • 1 cup grenadine
    • 4 cups lemon-lime soda
    • 8 maraschino cherries.
  1. In a large pitcher or bowl, add vodka and grenadine and stir to combine. Carefully stir in lemon-lime soda.
  2. Fill individual glasses with ice and top with 6 ounces Dirty Shirley Punch. Garnish with a cherry.

More tasty cocktails to try

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Dirty Shirley cocktails in two clear glasses.

Dirty Shirley Cocktail

By Meggan Hill
A Dirty Shirley cocktail is the grown-up version of your favorite mocktail, the Shirley Temple. Made with grenadine and lemon-lime soda, it has the same fruity taste you love along with a kick from vodka.
Prep Time 1 minute
Total Time 1 minute
Servings 1 cocktail
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Calories 253
5 from 86 votes
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Equipment

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Fill a glass with ice, then add 2 ounces (¼ cup) vodka and 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) grenadine. Top with soda, then garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Recipe Video

Notes

  1. Vodka: Use plain vodka or substitute a cherry-flavored brand such as Smirnoff, Three Olives, Svedka, Pinnacle, UV, or Skyy. Grenadine is not made from cherries, but the flavor works.
  2. Grenadine. A deep red, pomegranate-flavored syrup.
  3. Soda: White soda such as Sprite or 7UP is common. For a more traditional approach, substitute ginger ale (you could add a splash of orange juice, too).
  4. Yield: This recipe makes one cocktail.
  5. Skinny: Use diet lemon-lime soda in place of the regular.
  6. Shirley Temple: The classic version is made without vodka.
  7. Cherry juice: It’s not the same as grenadine, but using the maraschino cherry juice from the jar tastes good too (and also makes a pink drink).
  8. Dirty Shirley Punch, makes a batch of 8 (6-ounce) cocktails:
    1. 2 cups vodka
    2. 1 cup grenadine
    3. 4 cups lemon-lime soda
    4. 8 maraschino cherries.
  1. In a large pitcher or bowl, add vodka and grenadine and stir to combine. Carefully stir in lemon-lime soda.
  2. Fill individual glasses with ice and top with 6 ounces Dirty Shirley Punch. Garnish with a cherry.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cocktailCalories: 253kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 1gSodium: 20mgSugar: 25g
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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Comments

  1. I always thought this drink should be called a Shirley Temple Black, after Shirley Temple’s married name. Either way, great recipe!5 stars

    Reply

    1. I feel like you’re half-right. The drink is a Betty Ford if you use citron vodka or Bacardi limon and green grenadine. What is the drink if you use cherry vodka and red grenadine? Worst-case scenario, the drink I have posted is nothing at all, just my own creation I guess. But where I’m from, we call it a Dirty Shirley. -Meggan