Shirley Temple

When we feel like making it fancier, we add a splash of lime juice and a splash of orange juice to create some extra flavor! It’s super good - highly recommend.

I am nursing an injury to my hip, and for the time being the pain medication I take means no alcohol--absolutely none. I miss a gin and tonic or a nice craft beer in the late afternoon in this beastly heat, and I came here in search of alternatives. Arnold Palmers and peach lemonade sound delicious. This recipe caught my eye, and I became eight years old again, sitting with my parents at some officers' club or other, on my best behavior, sipping my grown-up cocktail. I'm making one today.

For my cousin's wedding, I was in charge of the guest book. I made a fancy dress (I've been sewing since I was 4) with pearly buttons, I remember it clearly. I must have been 10. I had to go table to table with the book and get every one to sign. When I was done, and gone back to my table, dad got me a Shirley Temple. I felt SO grown up!

I make it with sparkling apple juice.

My beloved late dad would always make these for the kids when we had company — in the good cocktail glasses, which always drove my mother wild. Yet no one ever broke a glass and the kids loved being treated like grown-ups. Even though I graduated to Daddy’s excellent gin and tonics once I was old enough (Bombay Sapphire, Canada Dry tonic, fresh lime and mint), I still miss those Shirley Temples in the good glasses.

In 70's CA, Shirley Temples were always made with 7-up and Coke/Pepsi for a Roy Rogers. It's still a favorite since I don't drink, yet now most restaurants now serve it with Sprite, since they carry Coke products.

Shirley Temples were always 7-up for me until Sprite came out and carried by most bartenders. I still prefer 7-up. I've had it fancy with real cherry juice and grew up with grenadine, both are great. Just don't scrimp on the grenadine or the cherries. One cherry is never enough!

Still my favorite - at 80 years old.

My kids called them Swirly Temples. And always asked for 3 or 4 cherries from the bartender

Ginger Ale and a dash of bitters was the version I grew up with, the cherry was required, but for fancy A half slice of orange was added as well.

My Boston family made them with Ginger Ale and Angostura Bitters with a Cherry

I grew up in Newark, N.J. in the 50's. My father loved to take the family to Harry's, a bar with a dining room on the side. The waitress always took drink orders first, and my father always ordered a Shirley Temple for me. Ginger ale in a tall glass, lots of ice, a big fat maraschino cherry on top ( a hard decision whether to eat that cherry first, or savor it slowly after all the ginger ale was gone). Today I would be happy to order for myself the same - except I would double the cherry!

1970s suburban Boston bartenders, from the fancy Chinese restaurants to the family Italian joints, served these up with ginger ale. Always with a cherry and often with a groovy little cocktail spear.

My grandkids have been enjoying these “ kiddie cocktails” since were in preschool. When they visit, they would head for the drawer with the “kiddie glasses” and paper cocktail umbrellas, get out one jar of maraschino cherry and a can of 7 Up and start mixing. Forget the grenadine, the cherry juice worked fine. And 1 cherry on top? Forget it! The more the better. Some of them are now in their early 20s and occasionally will relive their childhood with a kiddie cocktail.