Both the Shirley Temple and the Roy Rogers drink call forward memories of childhood days spent sipping brightly colored drinks in soda shops and buying packs of gum, which only cost a nickel. A classic grenadine and cola mocktail, the Roy Rogers, has helped give kids a sense of sophistication at holiday parties and big family get-togethers for many years. However, if you're looking to enjoy this drink as an adult and want to find the perfect modern twist, take a gander at some of these new takes on the sweet summertime drink.
The Origin of the Roy Rogers Drink
Roy Rogers was a famous actor and musician who featured in dozens of westerns throughout the 1930s-1950s. The "King of the Cowboys" reportedly never drank alcohol, and so its apropos that his eponymous mocktail was devoid of any spirits or liqueurs. While there isn't any concrete information as to how the drink actually came about, some speculate that the drink was created as a masculine counterpart to the popular Shirley Temple mocktail. Considering that the drinks do have incredibly similar recipes, it is definitely possible that the cola mocktail was created to be a version of the Shirley Temple; this theory is further supported by the two drinks' names having similar Hollywood connections.
Classic Roy Rogers Cocktail
The soda foundation favorite's original recipe called for just two simple ingredients: grenadine and cola. Thankfully, you can use whichever brand of cola you prefer, and in fact, you can even enjoy caffeine or zero sugar versions of your favorite cola in a Roy Rogers. If you choose to include a lower sugar version, you'll want to add a ½ ounce of simple syrup to your mixture to substitute the cola's natural sweetness
Ingredients
- 1 ounce grenadine
- Cola
- Ice
- Cherries for garnish
Instructions
- Pour grenadine into a collins glass and add ice.
- Stir in cola until thoroughly mixed.
- Garnish with cherries and enjoy.
Modern Variations on the Roy Rogers Drink Recipe
With the innovations in mixology and flavor profiles that have developed in the 21st century, the chance to personalize the simplest recipes to fit your personal tastebuds has increased exponentially. Here are a few examples of modern iterations of the mid-century mocktail which put a slight spin on the original drink.
Very Cherry Roy Rogers
A very cherry Roy Rogers supplements regular cola for cherry cola to enhance the cherry flavor of the original mocktail. If you have a particular hankering for the cherry flavor, you can even substitute the grenadine for cherry syrup (the kind found in a jar of maraschino cherries).
Ingredients
- 1 ounce cherry syrup
- Cherry Cola
- Ice
- Cherries for garnish
Instructions
- Pour cherry syrup into a collins glass. Add ice.
- Stir in the cherry cola until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
- Garnish with cherries.
Cranberry Roy Rogers
For a more refined flavor you can turn to a cranberry Roy Rogers, which adds an ounce of cranberry juice to the classic concoction. Drop in a few loose cranberries and you have a family-safe drink to wow everyone during the winter holidays.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce grenadine
- 1 ounce cranberry juice
- Cola
- Ice
- Cherries for garnish
- Cranberries for garnish
Instructions
- Pour the grenadine and cranberry juice into a collins glass. Add ice.
- Pour in the cola and stir.
- Garnish with cherries and cranberries.
Sour Cherry Roy Rogers
Taking inspiration from the tartest cherries, a sour cherry Roy Rogers adds a splash of lemon juice to the drink to cut into the original drink's powerful sweetness. If you want a really sour drink, you can combine both lemon and lime juice, and double your amounts; what'll result is a mouth-puckering, eye-watering treat.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ounce grenadine
- Cola
- Ice
- 2 sour cherries
Instructions
- Pour the grenadine and lemon juice into a collins glass. Add ice.
- Pour in the cola and stir.
- Garnish with sour cherries and serve.
Roy Rogers Blue Suede Shoes
If you've ever been serenaded by Elvis' voice or just wanted to take his iconic blue shoes for a spin around town, then you should try a sip of this blue iteration of the Roy Rogers inspired by the famous song.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce non-alcoholic blue curacao
- Vanilla cola
- Ice
- Lemon wedges for garnish
Instructions
- Pour non-alcoholic blue curacao into a collins glass and add ice.
- Stir in vanilla cola until thoroughly mixed.
- Garnish with lemon wedges.
Roy Rogers Visits Honolulu
Let this version of the soda-shop favorite take your mouth on a tour of a tropical paradise with its incorporation of pineapple juice into the classic recipe.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce pineapple juice
- 1 ounce grenadine
- Cola
- Ice
- 1 pineapple wedge for garnish
Instructions
- In a collins glass, combine pineapple juice and grenadine; add ice.
- Top with cola and garnish with a pineapple wedge.
Rest With a Roy Rogers
The Roy Rogers remains one of the most popular nonalcoholic drinks today and has continued to be a mainstay on the menu of contemporary restaurants and bars for those who're looking to enjoy a tasty nonalcoholic beverage. So, put your feet up and rest awhile with whichever of these Roy Rogers recipes has caught your eye.
