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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.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
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).
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 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.
- In a large pitcher or bowl, add vodka and grenadine and stir to combine. Carefully stir in lemon-lime soda.
- Fill individual glasses with ice and top with 6 ounces Dirty Shirley Punch. Garnish with a cherry.
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Dirty Shirley Cocktail
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.
Ingredients
- Ice
- 2 ounces vodka (see note 1)
- 1 ounce grenadine (see note 2)
- 4 ounces lemon-lime soda (see note 3)
- Maraschino cherries for garnish, optional
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
- 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).
- 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.
- In a large pitcher or bowl, add vodka and grenadine and stir to combine. Carefully stir in lemon-lime soda.
- 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.
I always thought this drink should be called a Shirley Temple Black, after Shirley Temple’s married name. Either way, great recipe!
Love that name Sandy, thanks! – Meggan
A Shirley Temple black is a real drink! It has Kahlua in it instead of vodka.
Delicious!
The real name for this drink is the Betty Ford. Use citron vodka or Bacardi limon.
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
So tasty! I love this recipe.
Like I had as a kid, but with a kick 😉