Dirty Shirley Temple Cocktail Recipe

Galentine's Day Cocktail and Bar Cart -invite your girlfriends over and celebrate with a pretty Valentine's Day Bar Cart and Galentine's Day Drink.  A Dirty Shirley is the grown up alcoholic version of your favourite girlhood drink!

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• Galentine's Day Bar Cart
• The Dirty Shirley
• Cocktail Variations
• Recipe
• More Valentine's Day Ideas

t's almost time for Galentine's Day and that calls for a fun cocktail and a cute bar cart to celebrate love with your girlfriends!  We made a grown-up version of our childhood favourite Shirley Temples.  It's the perfect Valentine's Day drink.   These Dirty Shirleys have all the sweetness and fun of your girlhood memories, with the addition of a shot of vodka to make them an adult cocktail.  They feel festive and fun for a special occasion and perfect for a girl friend get together for Valentine's Day.  But they're also been called the drink of the summer.  We think they're pretty perfect for any time of year.  This is a sweet drink, with just a few ingredients, that you can easily find in any grocery store and an easy recipe making them such a favorite.

Galentine's Day Bar Cart

I used my bar cart and decorated it for Valentine's Day.  Every Galentine's Day needs pretty flowers, some candy, and some great girly drinks -check, check, check.

The heart garland is a DIY marble -see how I made it here.

On the wall above I used a sweet X and O balloon.  We could all use a little kiss and hug, right?  Pick them up at the party store. They're filled with air and hung on string so they're really convenient since you don't need helium.

On top of the bar everything is set up for the signature cocktail of the night -our Dirty Shirleys.  We're all set for happy hour.  

The Dirty Shirley

The original classic Shirley Temple mocktail is named after the child star.  There are various stories of its origin.  Most agree that it was a child friendly option with a sweet taste that the famous child actress could enjoy while others had an adult beverage.  There are different versions of the drink.  Some use ginger ale, other lemon-lime soda, still others prefer club soda and lemon juice.  They all contain grenadine syrup and maraschino cherries.  Some suggest the adults around here were perhaps drinking old fashions which come with a cherry, when the bartender added extra cherries to the Shirley Temple as well.  Some recipes also include splash of orange juice.

The Dirty Shirley drink is very similar to the innocent childhood drink.  The adult version of this classic mocktail has the same simple ingredients with the addition of vodka.  If you're looking for fun and nostalgic drinks for a party, the boozy Shirley Temple is the perfect choice.  The addition of alcohol to this old favorite, turns it into a grown-up cocktail everyone loves.

Cocktail Variations

You can make your dirty Shirley cocktail with ginger ale but we prefer lemon-lime soda like Sprite lemon lime soda or 7-up.  It's better for color and for taste, in our option.  If you don't want want that familiar childhood sweetness, you could substitute with club soda and add a little fresh lime juice or lemon juice as well.  

Adjusting The Sweetness

The dirty Shirley Temple cocktail is on the sweet side.  The grenadine will still give the cocktail some sweetness, even if you opt for club soda.  You can make it less sweet if you prefer by adjusting the amount of grenadine.  For a less sweet version add only a splash of grenadine.  Or if you love a sweet cocktail add up to an ounce of grenadine.

Garnish

These are best served over ice in a highball glass with traditional Shirley Temple garnishes of a maraschino cherry -look for the cocktail variety with stems, and lime wedges.

Vodka Options

We prefer these with plain vodka, but you can try flavored vodka for a twist.  Cherry vodka is a fun addition.

This is a very easy cocktail to make with just a few ingredients.  If you're making the adult version of a Shirley Temple for a crowd, you can easily make a large pitcher.

On the bottom shelf of the bar cart a few more fun options for the night, some rose, and some sparkling wine -because a girl loves choices.

And how pretty is this velvet ribbon tassel garland?  With the perfect bit of sparkle.

I hope you get a chance to celebrate this year with all your girl friends.  And I hopefully this fun bar cart and our grown-up Shirley Temples the Dirty Shirley, has given you a few new ideas for Galentine's Day drinks.

Recipe

With a Galentine's Day Cocktail and Bar Cart, life really is a party!

More Valentine's Day Ideas

You might also enjoy our Valentine's Day Pizza Party here.

Also check our Valentine's Day At Home Spa here.

You might also enjoy our Heart Shaped Chocolate Pavlova recipe here.