When I was a kid, a bottle of grenadine hated to see me coming. A Shirley Temple was my go-to drink order at any restaurant, so much so that I became a connoisseur of sorts. I’ve learned to immediately detect when the soda-to-grenadine ratio is off. I can clock if the drink’s been made with any grenadine brand other than Rose’s. I can even predict how good a Shirley Temple will be based on the amount of cherries in the glass (because more is obviously better).
So when 7Up announced last month that they’d be releasing a limited-edition Shirley Temple soda in a can, I knew that I had to try it for myself. Part of the Shirley Temple’s beauty is the gradient red hue that travels down the glass and the made-to-order magic. How well can that experience be replicated in a 12-ounce can?
I got my hands on one ahead of the launch, and here’s what I think.
Let’s start with the visuals. A can of 7Up Shirley Temple looks exactly how you think it would: red. I’d argue that the color is a tad more vibrant than it would be in my ideal recipe—especially when you consider that the syrup is already fully combined. The bubbles are big and aggressive in the best way possible, which offers a promising start for this Shirley Temple.
As for the flavor? It tastes like a Shirley Temple, but with the volume turned up to the max. I knew what I was getting into by drinking a soda, but it was even more syrupy sweet than I expected. I’m not sure if I should partially blame my adult palate or not, but I do have a plausible theory.
A Shirley Temple from a restaurant is served over ice, giving the drink the chance to dilute slightly over time. Straight out of the can, a 7Up Shirley Temple is at its most concentrated. If that’s something that appeals to you, then all the power to you.
But, in my opinion, this canned version is best enjoyed on ice, with a straw, and garnished with at least two cherries. Not only do you get a slight reprieve from the syrup-heavy soda, but you can also enjoy the best parts of the Shirley Temple experience.
At that point, however, how convenient is it anyway to buy a pre-mixed version? That’s up to you to decide. The 7Up Shirley Temple is available at grocery stores nationwide starting today through the end of the year.
Expertise: TikTok Trends, Drinks, Pop Culture
Education: B.A. in Journalism and B.S. in Communications from NYU, Culinary Arts degree from The Institute of Culinary Education
About Me: As an associate editor at Delish, Gabby works on everything from features to recipes to content on our social media channels. Before joining the team, she wrote for StarChefs Rising Stars Magazine, Mashed, and Food52. When she’s not developing cocktail recipes, she’s making cocktail-inspired dishes like and . Her features cover online trends like the , rank everything from to , and answer some of your most pressing food safety questions. You can also find her posting content on Delish’s TikTok, including her about cooking like influencer Nara Smith that garnered over 3M combined views. She loves eating spicy food, collecting cookbooks, and adding a mountain of Parmesan to any dish she can.
