Shirley Temple with Real Grenadine

Before you start

A Shirley Temple is ginger ale or lemon-lime soda with a splash of grenadine and a maraschino cherry. Most versions use bright red commercial grenadine, which is mainly corn syrup and coloring. Real grenadine is a pomegranate syrup, and making it takes five minutes. It gives the drink a tart, fruity depth and a deep ruby color.

The quick grenadine here is pomegranate juice and sugar in roughly equal parts, warmed just long enough to dissolve. A little lemon or lime in the glass balances the extra fruit tartness. Pour the grenadine last and let it sink to make the classic red-to-gold fade, then stir before drinking.

Ingredients

• Quick grenadine120 ml (½ cup) 100% pomegranate juice — unsweetened, bottled is fine
• 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp orange flower water — optional
• Drink20 ml (⅔ oz) quick grenadine
• 10 ml (⅓ oz) fresh lemon or lime juice
• 200 ml (6¾ oz) cold ginger ale — or lemon-lime soda
• 1 cup (about 150 g) ice cubes
• 1 or 2 maraschino or cocktail cherries

Method

1. Warm the pomegranate juice and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves completely, about 3 minutes. Do not let it boil.
2. Take it off the heat, stir in the orange flower water if using, and pour into a jar. Let it cool for about 20 minutes.
3. Fill a highball glass with ice and add the lemon or lime juice.
4. Pour in the ginger ale slowly, leaving about 2 cm (¾ inch) at the top.
5. Pour the grenadine slowly over the ice so it sinks and settles in a red layer at the bottom. Garnish with the cherries and stir before drinking.

Tips for success

• Keep the grenadine off a full boil. Boiling cooks the juice and dulls its bright, tart flavor.
• Ginger ale gives a warmer, spicier drink; lemon-lime soda makes it sweeter and brighter. A half-and-half mix of both is common.
• Use good cocktail cherries in syrup if you can. They taste of fruit rather than the bright red, candy-like maraschinos.

Substitutions

Homemade grenadine

Store-bought grenadine works; check the label for pomegranate rather than only syrup and coloring. Use 15 ml, as it is sweeter.

Ginger ale

Soda water with 10 ml extra grenadine makes a drier, less sweet drink that lets the pomegranate lead.

Pomegranate juice

Tart cherry juice makes a similar ruby syrup with a cherry flavor.

Variations

Shirley Temple with orange

Use half ginger ale and half fresh orange juice, then add the grenadine. The drink is fruitier, less fizzy and fades from red to orange.

Sparkling pomegranate

Use soda water instead of ginger ale and garnish with fresh pomegranate seeds.

Troubleshooting

The grenadine will not sink

It was warm or diluted. Cool it fully before pouring and drizzle it slowly down the inside of the glass.

The drink is too sweet

Cut the grenadine to 15 ml and add a little more citrus, or use part soda water.

Grenadine tastes cooked

It boiled. Warm it gently only until the sugar dissolves next time.

Storage

Keep the grenadine in a closed jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks; discard it if it clouds or grows mold. Mix the drink just before serving.