This is basically the dessert version of the traditional Shirley Temple Drink. I make it for the kids on a warm afternoon, for myself when I want something pink and silly, and for parties when I want a pretty non-alcoholic drink for whoever isn’t drinking alcohol.
Ingredient Notes
- Grenadine: Brands vary a lot in sweetness, and a sweet one can make the whole drink syrupy. Taste a spoonful before you pour. If it tastes like cherry candy, use ½ ounce. If it tastes tart, use the full ounce.
- Soda: Either lemon-lime or ginger ale works at the same volume. Lemon-lime, usually 7up or Sprite, is sweeter and tastes like a restaurant Shirley Temple, which is what kids want. Ginger ale, the original choice from the 1930s, is less sweet. I reach for it when adults are drinking.
- ALCOHOL: If you want a true adult version, my Dirty Shirley Drink is what you’re looking for.
Entertaining a Group?
When I’m making this for more than two or three people, I switch to my Shirley Temple Punch so I’m not standing at the counter assembling one glass at a time.
The Perfect Pour
The Grenadine
The grenadine goes on the ice cream, not the bottom of the glass. Drizzling it over the top lets it run down the sides of the ice cream and pool at the base in a visible pink ring under the soda.
Don’t Do This: Pouring grenadine first and adding ice cream on top gives a muddier, mixed look because the ice cream displaces it.
The Soda
Pour the soda in two passes, not one. The first inch of soda hits the ice cream and foams up almost to the rim. If I keep pouring through that, I lose soda over the side. I pause, let the foam settle for 10-15 seconds, then pour the rest.
Some glasses can’t hold all 8 ounces even with the pause, and the foam itself is delicious, so eating a spoonful or two is a fair workaround.
When I want the same cherry-vanilla flavor profile without standing at the counter making floats one by one, I make my Shirley Temple cake instead. I bake it a night or two before the party so dessert is already waiting in the fridge when guests arrive.
Shirley Temple Float
Ingredients
- 1 cup ice cream (vanilla)
- 1 ounces grenadine
- 8 ounces lemon lime soda
- maraschino cherries, Cool Whip, lime wedges optional garnish
Instructions
- Place the ice cream in the bottom of a tall glass.
- Drizzle the grenadine over the top of the ice cream.
- Gently pour the soda over the top of the ice cream.
- If you like, garnish with a dollop of Cool Whip, a cherry and slice of lime.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Do not store once made, including freezing. It will not keep. It’s best to keep all ingredients stored separately and make a float as you need it.
- You can adjust the amount of ingredients to match your preferences. It’s hard to make a float wrong!
- You may have to pause and remove some of the excess foam at the top of the glass in order to fit all the soda. It depends on the glass you’re using. Or, you can just eat the foam and add the soda as you go (we do this a lot).
Nutrition
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