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Homemade Grenadine Is the Secret to the Shirley Temple of Your Dreams

It’s worlds away from the bottled stuff.
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Published Dec. 31, 2021.

Homemade Grenadine Is the Secret to the Shirley Temple of Your Dreams

It’s just a fact of life: I’ll never feel as cool as I felt when I drank Shirley Temples with my friends at my bat mitzvah party.

Just one sip and I convinced myself I could run with the big dogs drinking Manhattans and margaritas at the grown-ups table.

But for as many Shirley Temples as I drank at various parties and restaurants, I never drank them at home—maybe I was worried they’d lose their charm.

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But looking back 10 years later, Shirley Temples could never lose their charm. They’re too magical! You should make them at home, and as the cherry on top, make your own grenadine, too. It’s a fun mini project to do with kids, or the perfect antidote for feeling like a kid again yourself—and don’t we all need that after this year?

According to the recipe in The Complete DIY Cookbook for Young Chefs, all you need are a handful of allspice berries, sugar, and pomegranate juice. Then, all that’s left to do is crush the berries and turn your ingredients into a syrup.

Just a few minutes of active cooking results in grenadine that’s much better than the store-bought stuff, which is usually made with high-fructose corn syrup and natural and artificial colors and flavors—um, no thanks!

So go ahead: Make the grenadine, and pour yourself a Shirley Temple. Whether you’re eight or 88, you deserve it.

Book

The Complete DIY Cookbook for Young Chefs

Creative yet attainable recipes will empower kids to rock the kitchen—and have fun doing it.

DIY Grenadine

Makes 1 cup

Add 8 allspice berries to zipper-lock bag. Use small saucepan to lightly crush berries. In small saucepan, combine ¾ cup sugar, ⅔ cup pomegranate juice, and crushed allspice berries. Heat mixture over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Do not let it boil. Let mixture cool completely, about 30 minutes. Strain through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl; discard allspice berries. Transfer grenadine to jar with tight-fitting lid. (Grenadine can be refrigerated for up to 1 month.)

To make a Shirley Temple: Fill tall glass with ice. Pour 1 cup ginger ale over ice. Add 2 tablespoons Grenadine. Top with 1 maraschino cherry (or 5, if you’re a cherry fiend like me).

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