Dirty Shirley

  • By KJ

The Dirty Shirley cocktail is an adult version of the classic childhood Shirley Temple drink. A fizzy lemon-lime soda gets a splash of bright red grenadine, a shot of vodka, and a sweet maraschino cherry to top it off. 

Sipping on a spinoff of the Shirley Temple is bound to transport you back to when you first sipped this iconic drink. Nostalgia with a spirited twist. 

The Dirty Shirley cocktail in a highball glass.

Dirty Shirley

The Dirty Shirley cocktail is an adult version of the classic childhood Shirley Temple drink. A fizzy lemon-lime soda gets a splash of bright red grenadine, a shot of vodka, and a sweet maraschino cherry to top it off. 

The Dirty Shirley is the 2022 cocktail of the summer. From The New York Times to TikTok influencers, everyone is talking about it. And it’s no wonder…with all the drab adult drinks out there, we could use something sugary and whimsical. 

Sipping on a spinoff of the Shirley Temple is bound to transport you back to when you first sipped this iconic drink. Nostalgia with a spirited twist. 

The Dirty ShirleyCocktail in a highball glass.

Why KJ Loves this Recipe

What’s better than a classic Shirley Temple? The grown-up version! I love how this simple cocktail takes such a nostalgic, memorable drink and turns up the volume. If you were like me as a kid, a Shirley Temple made you feel so fancy when you got to order one while eating out. Well, let’s keep that enthusiasm and pour ourselves a Dirty Shirley!

An action shot of lemon-lime soda being poured into the Dirty Shirley cocktail.

Dirty Shirley Ingredients

Grenadine

This sweet red syrup is the star of the show!

Fun fact: Grenadine syrup is actually made of reduced pomegranate juice—not cherries. A high-quality grenadine will take this Dirty Shirley drink recipe to the next level. If you want to channel your inner mixologist, try making your own homemade grenadine. 

Vodka

Grab your favorite brand. Want to amp up the cherry flavor? Use cherry-flavored vodka!

Lemon-lime soda

Fizzy lemon-lime soda is a classic feature of the Shirley Temple drink. 

Ice

Cubed or crushed

Maraschino cherry

The literal cherry on top of this delightful drink.

An overhead photo of the Dirty Shirley cocktail.

Serving the Dirty Shirley

The Dirty Shirley cocktail is made in a highball glass—a tall glass that is roughly 10-16 ounces. 

Single Serving

Use a cocktail jigger to measure out the grenadine and vodka. Combine with ice, lemon-lime soda, and a maraschino cherry. 

For a Crowd

Serve Dirty Shirleys at your next get-together for a playful drink that is sure to be a hit. 

Since this cocktail is largely soda based, I don’t recommend making it in one large batch. The lemon-lime soda would lose its fizz quickly and make the cocktail flat.

Instead, you could serve this drink cocktail bar style. Set all the ingredients out and allow your guests to build their own Dirty Shirleys! Leave a little note card with the Dirty Shirley recipe to follow and then have some fun!

A close-up photo of the maraschino cherries on top of the Dirty Shirley cocktail.

Looking for other Cocktail Recipes? Check these out!

Summer Sangria

Strawberry Smash Peach Margaritas

Blueberry Mojitos

Print
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The Dirty ShirleyCocktail in a highball glass.

Dirty Shirley


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: KJ & Company - Kate Poskochil
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 cocktail 1x

Description

The Dirty Shirley cocktail is an adult version of the classic childhood Shirley Temple drink. A fizzy lemon-lime soda gets a splash of bright red grenadine, a shot of vodka, and a sweet maraschino cherry to top it off. 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 oz vodka
  • 1 oz grenadine
  • 8 oz lemon-lime soda
  • Ice – crushed or cubed
  • Maraschino cherries for garnish

Instructions

  1. Add the ice into a standard highball glass. Pour in the vodka and grenadine.
  2. Top the glass off with the lemon-lime soda. Gently stir to combine.
  3. Garnish with maraschino cherries and enjoy!

Notes

  • Nutritional information for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Category: Drinks

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 316
  • Sugar: 48.8g
  • Fat: 0g
  • Fiber: 0g
  • Protein: 0g
  • Cholesterol: 0g

Keywords: Dirty Shirley

An overhead photo of the dirty shirley cocktail.

Share the love!

If you make this recipe and love it as much as I do, I’d love to hear from you! Comment below, rate the recipe, or share a picture tagging @kjandcompany or using #kjandcompany so that I can see your fun pictures 🙂

Thanks for following and cooking along with me!

 

Affiliate Links

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that KJ & Company would receive a small commission if anything is purchased. Thank you for supporting KJ & Company in all the ways that you do!

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