Shirley Temple is an overall amazing and delicious drink. Every time I go to a restaurant, that is always a great drink option. It is very infectious, once one person orders a Shirley Temple, everyone wants one. Did you know… that the drink comes from an American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat who was Hollywood’s number one box-office draw as a child actress from 1934 to 1938. Her name was Shirley Temple.

The drink came about because when the famous actress Shirley Temple was young, she often attended parties with adult celebrities. Because of her age, she couldn’t have the drinks that were offered, so they made her a mocktail from common things found behind the bar that were appropriate for a kid – grenadine, ginger ale, and maraschino cherries.

It is believed that the drink was invented by a bartender at Chasen’s, a restaurant in West Hollywood, California.

The most well-known and well-liked child celebrity of all time was unquestionably Shirley Temple. She began acting in movies when she was three years old and quickly rose to great popularity. Shirley, who was just five years old, was a natural actor, singer, and dancer.

Fans adored her because she portrayed a happy, upbeat personality in her movies, and as a result, they spent millions of dollars on merchandise bearing her image. Part of Temple’s appeal was interpreted as a reaction to the Great Depression. Temple and her upbeat movies offered a welcome break from hard times in America.

Whatever it was that had her picture on it—dolls, CDs, mugs, hats, dresses—they purchased it. Shirley won the title of box office champion for the four years in a row, 1935–1936–1937–1938. She defeated luminaries like Clark Gable, Bing Crosby, Robert Taylor, Gary Cooper, and Joan Crawford. Her popularity started to wane by 1939. Her career was about to end, despite the fact that she appeared in several excellent films like Since You Went Away (1944) and The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947).

After enjoying a successful career as an entertainer, Temple dedicated herself to public service, working as a politician and ambassador to Czechoslovakia and Ghana. 

So, the next time you go to a restaurant and ask the waiter for a Shirley Temple, remember the history of how the drink came to be and the history of who Shirley Temple was when you do order this mouthwatering drink.