Shirley Temple has been an alcohol-free favorite for nearly a century.
His name was “the original mocktailbut its actual history – and ingredients – are up for debate.
“The history of drinks is always murky,” Jennifer Brian, co-founder and owner of craft cocktail company Make & Muddle and a self-proclaimed “cocktail evangelist,” told Fox News Digital. “Whenever alcohol is involved, origin stories are often at least two parts lore and one part truth.”
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Shirley Temple, while alcohol-free, “is no exception,” said Brian, who lives in Louisville, Kentucky.
Legend has it that “Shirley Temple’s drink was created and named after a child actress in the 1930s when she complained that her parents were sipping on their own cocktails with dinnerbut she didn’t have anything fun to sip on,” Brian said.
The Shirley Temple, a non-alcoholic cocktail with grenadine and cherries, was first invented in the 1930s. (Getty Images; iStock)
The exact origin of the drink, however, is somewhat disputed, s several iconic restaurants taking a loan.
“Chasen’s in Hollywood claimed to have created it, but the Brown Derby restaurant as well as the Royal Hawaiian also claim to be the home of the original,” Brian said.
Shirley Temple’s original recipe contains ginger beergrenadine and cherries – but even that has changed over time.
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“Midwesterners like it with Sprite or 7 Up, while West Coasters do it with original ginger ale,” Brian said.
Other people may add things like “orange juice or other citrus” to try to liven up the flavors of the drink, she said.
The exact amount of grenadine – the red syrup that gives Shirley Temple its special color – is also a matter of personal taste.
The ratio of grenadine to soda can be changed depending on how sweet your drink is.
“The ratio of grenadine to soda can change depending on how sweet your drink is,” Brian said.
The more grenadine, the sweeter the drink, she said.
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However, one component of Shirley Temple is not up for debate: decoration.
“Everybody agrees that there should be as many cherries in it as possible,” Brian said.
While Shirley Temple’s ingredient list, recipe and history are up for debate, the addition of cherries as a garnish is not. (iStock)
Shirley Temple started the celebrity-named “mocktail” trend, Brian told Fox News Digital.
“In addition to Shirley Temple, the Roy Rogers was also a hugely popular mocktail created in the 1940s using grenadine and cola instead of ginger ale,” she said.
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“Arnold Palmer is also an iconic mocktail that is iced tea blend and lemonade.”
In the modern age, “cocktails are finding their way onto more and more menus every day, and rightly so,” said Brian – and they’re not just for kids anymore.
“People choose not to ask for many reasons.”
“People choose not to drink for many reasons – a little healthsome personal. Regardless of why they don’t drink, there absolutely should be room at the table for everyone,” she said.
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Although Shirley Temple has been a mainstay on the bar’s menu since its inception, one person was definitely not a fan of the drink: Shirley Temple Black herself.
As an adult, Shirley Temple Black reportedly hated her drink of the same name. (Getty Images)
“I hate them,” Temple Black told National Public Radio’s Scott Simon in a 1986 interview.
She said the drinks were “too sweet” for her taste, calling them “cheesy” and “saccharine”.
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The former child star turned diplomat told Simon that he “created the drink in the 1930s at the Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood, and I had nothing to do with it.”
The drinks were “too sweet” for her taste.
She was often served a drink without ordering it, which she didn’t like, she told the same source.
Temple Black passed away on February 10, 2014.
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As Fox News Digital previously reported, the non-alcoholic cocktail trend has increased expanded to travel.
Sober travel, also known as the “dry trip,” was one of the hottest vacation trends in 2024, according to Hotels.com — with more than 40% of travelers saying they were likely to book a detox in the next year.
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A spokesperson told Fox News Digital that reviews mentioning mocktails are up 50% year-over-year, “guests rave about the creative non-alcoholic offerings at top hotels around the world.”
Fox News Digital’s Ashley DiMella contributed reporting.
