Shirley Temple Slush
A frozen Shirley Temple with ginger ale, grenadine, lime and orange — a kid-favorite mocktail for Margaritaville machines.
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Illustrative photo: Tim Douglas / Pexels
The classic kids’ "cocktail" turned into a slushie. Grenadine makes it pink-red and cherry-sweet; lime and orange keep it from being one-note.
At 13 ounces it’s an exact three-drink batch for 36-ounce jars.
Shirley Temple Slush recipe
Ingredients (3 drinks)
- 9 oz ginger ale or lemon-lime soda, cold
- 1½ oz grenadine (paid link)
- 1 oz fresh lime juice
- 1½ oz orange juice
Plus: a full ice reservoir. Garnish: Lots of maraschino cherries. Glass: Any glass.
Instructions
- Fill the ice reservoir.
- Add grenadine, lime and orange juice, then soda last.
- Run the cycle.
- Top with maraschino cherries.
How much to make in your machine
Every Margaritaville frozen concoction maker is designed around a particular volume of liquid — the shaver portions ice for it. The table scales this recipe to the margarita liquid volume printed in each model’s manual (Key West DM1000 / DM1946 3 × 12 oz drinks: 9.75 fl oz; Bahamas DM0500 / Fiji DM2000 3 × 12 oz drinks: 13 fl oz; Tahiti DM3000 per 24 oz jar: 8.67 fl oz; Bali DM3500 half chamber: 11 fl oz; Bali DM3500 full chamber: 22 fl oz). Amounts are rounded to the nearest ¼ or ⅓ oz.
| Ingredient | Key West DM1000 / DM19463 × 12 oz drinks | Bahamas DM0500 / Fiji DM20003 × 12 oz drinks | Tahiti DM3000per 24 oz jar | Bali DM3500half chamber | Bali DM3500full chamber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ginger ale or lemon-lime soda, cold | 6¾ oz | 9 oz | 6 oz | 7⅔ oz | 15¼ oz |
| grenadine | 1 oz | 1½ oz | 1 oz | 1¼ oz | 2½ oz |
| fresh lime juice | ¾ oz | 1 oz | ⅔ oz | ¾ oz | 1⅔ oz |
| orange juice | 1 oz | 1½ oz | 1 oz | 1¼ oz | 2½ oz |
Scaling is our calculation, not a manufacturer recipe. Fruit- and ice-cream-heavy drinks vary more; adjust with the Shave Only / Blend Only controls. The Key West DM1900 isn’t listed because we haven’t verified its manual yet.
Machine notes for this drink
- A carbonated ingredient foams when blended. Pour it into the jar last, down the side, and stay well under the fill line — or blend without it and top each glass with soda instead.
- This batch uses about 13 fl oz of liquid for 3 drinks. If your drink comes out watery, the manuals’ first fix is to follow the recipe volumes or manually shave more ice; if it’s too stiff, add liquid and Blend Only.
Why this recipe works
Ginger ale’s mild spice balances grenadine’s sweetness.
About mocktails & kid-friendly
Without alcohol, frozen drinks set firmer, so most of our mocktails replace the spirit with an equal volume of juice, soda or water to keep the liquid-to-ice ratio right. Remember the manuals’ warning: the appliance itself should not be used by children — let an adult run the machine.
Tips for the best texture
- Add soda last.
- Use real pomegranate grenadine for less artificial color.
- Freeze cherries for garnish.
- Colored sugar rims are a hit.
- Never put anything but ice in the ice reservoir, and don’t fill the jar past its maximum line — both are warnings in every manual.
- Too thin? Hold the toggle in Shave Only for a few seconds, then Blend Only to mix it in. Too thick? Add an ounce of liquid and Blend Only.
Serving & make-ahead
Garnish with lots of maraschino cherries and serve in a any glass. Make mocktails look as special as the grown-up drinks: colored sugar rims, fruit skewers and fun straws. Label pitchers clearly at mixed parties so alcoholic and alcohol-free batches never get confused, and blend the kids’ batch first in a freshly rinsed jar.
Variations
- Roy Rogers: Use cola instead of ginger ale.
- Dirty Shirley (adults): Add 3 oz cherry or vanilla vodka per batch.
- Sprite version: Lemon-lime soda for a sweeter drink.
Make it with (or without) alcohol
Already alcohol-free. Adults: see the Dirty Shirley variation.
Shop the ingredients
- Rose's Grenadine Syrup (paid link)
We link to mixers, syrups and juices only — alcohol isn’t sold through these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Frequently asked questions
Is grenadine cherry?
Traditionally pomegranate; many brands taste cherry-like.
Diet version?
Diet ginger ale works.
Will soda overflow?
Not if you add it last and stay under the fill line.
How much ice should I put in the machine?
Fill the ice reservoir with ice cubes — the machine shaves the amount it needs for the cycle (dial models size it to the 1, 2 or 3-drink setting). The manuals recommend ice that has been out of the freezer for 10–15 minutes.
Will this work in a regular blender?
Yes — add about 1½–2 cups of ice per 12 oz drink and blend until smooth. The texture will be coarser than shaved ice.
