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It’s fizzy, flirty and fruity – and with a cherry on top.
About the cocktail
“Marty, Maraschino… you know, like the cherry?” (IYKYK). Whenever ‘maraschino cherry’ is mentioned, that iconic scene from Grease tends to come to mind. And we think that’s pretty fitting in this case because it matches the sassy energy of this maraschino-muddled Dirty Shirley cocktail. A riff on that OG mocktail, the Shirley Temple, our grown-up (read: alcoholic) version muddles sweet cherries before stirring in the spirit base. Fizzy, fruity and flirty, the ‘dirtiness’ in this icon is drawn from the addition of vodka, but if you’re after a more herbaceous flavour, gin also works really well. Topped with ginger beer, fresh lime juice and quality grenadine (more on that below in our tips), this full-throttle Shirley is all va-va vroom. With a hint of pomegranate, along with lime, ginger spice and a lick of vanilla, its flavour is a lot like a rich, spiced creamy soda. Best served with great friends and retro tunes, this rosy, bubbly, citrusy drop is the perfect addition to your next shindig. ‘Peachy keen’ and Pink-Lady-approved.
Watch: How to make a Dirty Shirley
Ingredients
30mL vodka 10mL grenadine ½ lime, juiced 3 maraschino cherries 100mL ginger ale, to top Glass: highball, milkshake or Collins Garnish: skewered maraschino cherries
Method
Pop your glass in the freezer to chill for 30 minutes Once frosty, muddle the cherries in the bottom of the glass Fill the glass with cubed ice Build the remaining ingredients in the glass, and stir carefully Garnish with skewered maraschino cherries
Dan’s top tips
This is not some pink lemonade you get from the RSL (although, no shade to a good Fire Engine). This is a grown-up drink, so flavour is paramount. As such, for our tried-and-tested recipe we've opted for Luxardo Maraschino cherries, but if you’re in a pinch, the basic bright fluoro ones can also work. As mentioned above, not all grenadines are created equal. Many mistakenly believe it is cherry flavoured, but (fun fact!) It’s actually made from pomegranates and used as a key ingredient in many famous cocktails, including the Manhattan and Tequila Sunrise. Our pick? The lush red grenadine crafted by Cawsey’s for its lovely vanilla note. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, why not try your hand at this homemade version by our pal Matt Stirling (all you do is heat sugar and pomegranate juice together in a pan – that’s it). Whatever you do, just make sure you steer away from raspberry cordials as they won’t do this ruby gem justice. Want to take your presentation chops to the next level? Work with the frozen glass by dipping the rim into syrup from the jar of cherries, and then give it another stint in the freezer so it sets around the lip, creating, literally, the cherry on top.
image credits: Shelley Horan (photography), Raye Scerri (videography), Bridget Wald (styling), LSS (production).
