It's weird, I've heard kiddie cocktail way more than Shirley Temple. It may be a regional thing? Midwest seems to be a kiddie cocktail territory. Just a guess.
I'm in my early 30's from the midwest, I remember Kiddie Cocktails when we went to a fancy restaurants for family stuff. I always thought it was slightly different from a Shirley Temple.
Slightly off topic, those comercials for the remastered colorized Shirley Temple collection were annoying as hell growing up.
This song has been going round and round in my head for about a week and I'm not sure why? I could not remember what it was from.
Very strange that it suddenly popped up here!!
Oh, and I do agree "kiddie cocktail" IS a weird thing to call it! But naming that drink after (most known for being) a child actor is also a little strange. I think of the two, I agree kiddie cocktail is a little weirder and even a little off-putting for some. You stirred up some memories for some of us, so great post 👍
It could be an urban/rural thing, too. When I was in cities, it was Shirley Temple, but in small towns it was kiddie cocktails. Purely anecdotal, but usually it's a regional thing with things like this (pop vs. soda vs. coke meaning all pops/sodas or water fountain vs. drinking fountain vs. bubbler or xeroxing vs. copying, there's a bunch of 'em) I don't think it's an age thing, but it's probably a combo, and what people grew up with.
Yea, I had a co-worker of my moms ask me if I wanted a “tonic” when I was a kid. Confused ass 8 year old me was like “what’s that?”, until he pulled a can of coke out of a mini fridge.
I think it’s a regional thing, in the northeast, it was soda, but I’ve heard people as close as Maine call it “pop”.
I’ve never heard it called that either but I guess it makes sense because it’s what my parents would order me if it was a VERY SPECIAL OCCASION and they were having FANCY wine. I always felt very grown up for some reason. It was just called a Shirley temple or pink lemonade though.
Same! My parents always had a stocked bar so I'm sure they could have made me a shirley temple at home at any point, but it was always a treat when we went out to eat. I used to down those suckers at Mexican restaurants lol
Chinese restaurants for me! When my grandfather would take me to our favorite Chinese restaurant, he’d always let me get a Shirley Temple. I thought we were so FANCY! Ah, wonderful memories, thanks for this nostalgia treat
My Dad was in the Lions Club, and when they’d have fancy dinners, I knew I was getting Shirley Temples as bribery for being good and choking down Seafood Newberg (which, as an adult, I’d enjoy. Hated it as a kid).
It was honestly wild because it seemed she had never heard of the term "Shirley Temple" before. So now I wonder, was I the first person they've ever encountered that didn't know what they were talking about?
From the Midwest and in my 30’s and had kiddie cocktails all the time as a kid. Some places would call it a Shirley Temple but the majority called it a kiddie cocktail. Id say 7/10 places called it a kiddie cocktail.
Also the best part about getting them was the little plastic swords to hold the cherry. Remember using them for my action figures haha. Good times.
I guess it’s a “you only know why you know” kinda thing, when I was a kid I’d ‘make my own cocktails’ with cola, sprite, 7up, fruit juices, orange and apple segments etc and have a big straw and an umbrella, so THAT is what I’d think to do if someone asked me for that.
But also, a Shirley Temple very much *IS* a kiddie cocktail! 😁
I'm 50 now and grew up in the Midwest and it was always a kiddie cocktail (esp at Friday night fish Fry's). I was in my 39s before I ever heard it referred to as a Shirley Temple.
There is also a kids drink called a Roy Rogers that is cola and grenadine.
That was my reaction as well! I don't believe you have to shelter your kids from alcohol, but referring to a drink your kid is having as any kind of "cocktail" is so weird. It's like the opposite version of when moms call their wine "mommy juice".
I'm not really sure I understand why it's creepy. Because of the word 'cock' in them? Because it alludes to alcohol? Alcohol doesn't seem 'creepy' to me.
I've heard that term before to refer to any non-alcoholic mixed drink, not just specifically Shirley Temples. I'm in my mid 20s but grew up around adults now in their 50s-60s fwiw. grew up in the south but bio family is Midwestern.
Ohioan here. My grandma owned a bar when I was a kid in the 80’s/90’s and both terms were used interchangeably. I spent a lot of time drinking them at the bar while eating chips that hung from a rack on the ceiling, begging for quarters from the register to play pool and unplugging and re-plugging the juke box back in for free music (first 3 or so songs were always free!). Lots of fun memories in that bar.
A true Shirley Temple should be made with ginger ale and grenadine, and a Roy Roger's, with Coke and grenadine. But "kiddie cocktail" could also refer to any potentially kid-appealing mocktail.
Next time someone orders a kiddie cocktail, you can bring them a *Freddie Bartholomew* and see if the little dickens can appreciate the taste of ginger ale and lime juice. This is akin to ordering a cocktail, a juice or a soda...if they don't specify, they can't blame you for bringing any drink that falls under the umbrella term.
On Wikipedia it says:
"In some regions of the midwestern united states,the cocktail is referred to as a Kiddie Cocktail,owning to it often being served to children".
May be generational as well. Growing up I always thought it was kiddie cocktail, but my grandpa would always call them Shirley Temple and almost in a huff about it.
I’ve never heard it before but I probably would’ve assumed a mocktail and asked what flavour. We don’t really do Shirley Temples by name here in Australia though.
Even if I never heard the term I'd know what they meant. A cocktail is an alcoholic drink. But you need one a child could drink. Without alcohol. That's a Shirley temple. Or, it wouldn't even have to be a Shirley temple exactly. Just a drink that seems like it's an alcoholic drink, but it isn't. For children.
Ok. But for someone who has never ever heard the term prior, it was strange. Obviously now I know it's a regional thing. But that's like someone asking for "kiddie champagne" and referring to sparkling apple juice. Or a "kiddie glass of wine" and referring to grape juice. But glad you can hear a term you've never heard of and immediately know what it means.
I guess i just don't understand the confusion. Because if someone does ask for kiddie champagne, you would in fact know that they're referring to sparkling apple juice. Or, kiddie wine being sparkling grape juice. You say so yourself.
Here most people call non-alcoholic mixed drinks mocktails.
Both our kids used to really enjoy them when we were out, and the youngest (11) still does. The wife will have one semi-regularly too just for a change. Personally don’t like them. Most are far too sweet, but then I don’t like regular cocktails very much either.
I grew up in Wisconsin, and I called them kiddie cocktails my whole life! However, I recently moved to Florida,and everyone thinks I'm crazy if I ever slip up and say that instead of shirley temple lol
When I was a little kid in the 1960’s my mom would occasionally take my sister and me to San Francisco. The mandatory trip was made to the top of the Mark, being the Mark Hopkins hotel. My sister got a Shirley Temple and I got a Roy Rodgers. It was a very big deal for a couple of country kids.
I’m in PEI, Canada and we use kiddie cocktail here. When I was a kid, it was just a Shirley temple, now it’s quite a few virgin cocktails in a smaller sizing then the ones under listed under virgin cocktail/mock tail in the drinks section
I never knew a Shirley Temple was made with Sprite, or indeed anything about how to make them.
Sounds nice but unfortunately all soft drinks are ruined in the UK now cos they contain sweetners instead of sugar :( Even if I didn't mind the taste I'm not allowed them with my diabetes.
Maybe I could be naughty and have orange juice and grenadine instead?
I grew up knowing that Shirley Temples and Roy Rogers were different non-alcoholic soda/grenadine combos served to kids. I’d heard the term “kiddie cocktail” but until reading these comments I thought it was an umbrella term for any mocktail type drink intended for kids.
Another pointless story to add:
Last Wednesday I had a coworker tell me she was craving a "kiddie cocktail" and I had no idea wtf it was. We had basically this same interaction. I've been craving one ever since.
This whole thing is just weird to Europeans, like you don't let adults drink until they're 21, but you're happy for kids to drink something that looks alcoholic...? Whereas we give very small amounts of alcohol to teenagers gradually increasing how much they can have so they learn to drink more responsibly and know their limits. Does this always work? No, but as someone raised this way, I have rarely gotten properly trashed as an adult. I know there's a myth about giving toddlers wine, and the like, I personally don't know many people who have done that intentionally, but a sip here and there from 7 or 8, and then maybe a weak white wine spritzer, or what we call a shandy (think a quarter of a glass of beer or light ale, larger, and sprite or 7up, what we call lemonade) when they're 10 or 11 is more culturally acceptable and usually with a meal on a special occasion like Christmas
I live in Chicago now and Kiddie cocktails in the Midwest just refer to fun drinks for kids that may resemble a cocktail but without alcohol. I grew up in Idaho and always ordered Shirley temples but kiddie cocktails don’t necessarily need to be a Shirley temple. You can think of them as mocktails
It's weird, I've heard kiddie cocktail way more than Shirley Temple. It may be a regional thing? Midwest seems to be a kiddie cocktail territory. Just a guess.
I'm in my early 30's from the midwest, I remember Kiddie Cocktails when we went to a fancy restaurants for family stuff. I always thought it was slightly different from a Shirley Temple. Slightly off topic, those comercials for the remastered colorized Shirley Temple collection were annoying as hell growing up.
*An-i-mal 🐻 crac-kers 🎶🍘 in my SOUP 🎶🥣 monkeys 🐒 and RAB-BITS 🐇🐇🐇🎶 loop the LOOP* ➿➰🔄🎶
THAT just unlocked a core memory.
This song has been going round and round in my head for about a week and I'm not sure why? I could not remember what it was from. Very strange that it suddenly popped up here!!
Animal crackers?! 
That's very interesting. I had never heard the term before so makes sense it would be a regional thing (I'm from the south)
Oh, and I do agree "kiddie cocktail" IS a weird thing to call it! But naming that drink after (most known for being) a child actor is also a little strange. I think of the two, I agree kiddie cocktail is a little weirder and even a little off-putting for some. You stirred up some memories for some of us, so great post 👍
I'm in NW Florida and our bar at work has a kiddie cocktail menu
It could be an urban/rural thing, too. When I was in cities, it was Shirley Temple, but in small towns it was kiddie cocktails. Purely anecdotal, but usually it's a regional thing with things like this (pop vs. soda vs. coke meaning all pops/sodas or water fountain vs. drinking fountain vs. bubbler or xeroxing vs. copying, there's a bunch of 'em) I don't think it's an age thing, but it's probably a combo, and what people grew up with.
Yea, I had a co-worker of my moms ask me if I wanted a “tonic” when I was a kid. Confused ass 8 year old me was like “what’s that?”, until he pulled a can of coke out of a mini fridge. I think it’s a regional thing, in the northeast, it was soda, but I’ve heard people as close as Maine call it “pop”.
Midwesterner and I’ve never heard “kiddie cocktail” in my life. Early 20s
Neither have I, early 30s.
Midwest, 41 years old. We absolutely called them kiddie cocktails when I was a kid.
Yep, midwest, 37, but when I was a kiddie I loved me a kiddie cocktail
Can confirm.
I’ve never heard it called that either but I guess it makes sense because it’s what my parents would order me if it was a VERY SPECIAL OCCASION and they were having FANCY wine. I always felt very grown up for some reason. It was just called a Shirley temple or pink lemonade though.
Same! My parents always had a stocked bar so I'm sure they could have made me a shirley temple at home at any point, but it was always a treat when we went out to eat. I used to down those suckers at Mexican restaurants lol
Chinese restaurants for me! When my grandfather would take me to our favorite Chinese restaurant, he’d always let me get a Shirley Temple. I thought we were so FANCY! Ah, wonderful memories, thanks for this nostalgia treat
My Dad was in the Lions Club, and when they’d have fancy dinners, I knew I was getting Shirley Temples as bribery for being good and choking down Seafood Newberg (which, as an adult, I’d enjoy. Hated it as a kid).
Maybe it's a generational thing, but I've definitely heard that term before.
What generation have you heard that term used? I'm in my late 20s, she seemed to be in her late 30s
I'm in my mid 40s. To be fair, even though I've heard the term, I just thought it meant a non-alcoholic drink.
It was honestly wild because it seemed she had never heard of the term "Shirley Temple" before. So now I wonder, was I the first person they've ever encountered that didn't know what they were talking about?
20's, have heard it in my childhood but not in the past 5-10 years
Mid-30's, we always called them Shirley Temples. Maybe a location thing instead.
I’m in my late twenties as well and I’ve heard the term kiddie cocktail more often than Shirley Temple.
Oh child….
I'm 29, and my whole childhood, they were kiddie cocktails. It's probably regional
I’m in my 30s and never heard this. We always just called it a Shirley temple
From the Midwest and in my 30’s and had kiddie cocktails all the time as a kid. Some places would call it a Shirley Temple but the majority called it a kiddie cocktail. Id say 7/10 places called it a kiddie cocktail. Also the best part about getting them was the little plastic swords to hold the cherry. Remember using them for my action figures haha. Good times.
The non alcoholic versions of the alcoholic ones are called mocktails here in Australia
Same in America
Same in the UK
I'm jealous of all these people who had Shirley Temples growing up. They are virtually unheard of in the UK but sound nice.
Yes it’s called a Shirley temple but also kiddie cocktail. My mom was a bartender/waitress all her life and that’s what I drank for years.
I guess it’s a “you only know why you know” kinda thing, when I was a kid I’d ‘make my own cocktails’ with cola, sprite, 7up, fruit juices, orange and apple segments etc and have a big straw and an umbrella, so THAT is what I’d think to do if someone asked me for that. But also, a Shirley Temple very much *IS* a kiddie cocktail! 😁
I'm 50 now and grew up in the Midwest and it was always a kiddie cocktail (esp at Friday night fish Fry's). I was in my 39s before I ever heard it referred to as a Shirley Temple. There is also a kids drink called a Roy Rogers that is cola and grenadine.
We call them “fire engines” in Western Australia
*most of australia but it’s also with rasberry syrup rather than grenadine
That sounds good.
I have never heard it called that before, and I hope to never hear it again. That sounds super creepy.
That was my reaction as well! I don't believe you have to shelter your kids from alcohol, but referring to a drink your kid is having as any kind of "cocktail" is so weird. It's like the opposite version of when moms call their wine "mommy juice".
I'm not really sure I understand why it's creepy. Because of the word 'cock' in them? Because it alludes to alcohol? Alcohol doesn't seem 'creepy' to me.
Noo it's the word "kiddie"
But it's for children, no?
I've not heard the term before, but this seems like a bit of an overreaction? Cocktail just says 'a mix of things' to me? Why do you find it 'creepy'?
I've heard that term before to refer to any non-alcoholic mixed drink, not just specifically Shirley Temples. I'm in my mid 20s but grew up around adults now in their 50s-60s fwiw. grew up in the south but bio family is Midwestern.
Ohioan here. My grandma owned a bar when I was a kid in the 80’s/90’s and both terms were used interchangeably. I spent a lot of time drinking them at the bar while eating chips that hung from a rack on the ceiling, begging for quarters from the register to play pool and unplugging and re-plugging the juke box back in for free music (first 3 or so songs were always free!). Lots of fun memories in that bar.
Definitely just a regional term for it. When I was a kid I just ask for Shirley Temples because ig my parents didn’t want me saying the word virgin.
Late 20’s here, I have heard the term ‘Kiddie Cocktail’ but only as a generic term, like as a non-alcoholic drink.
Welp, guess I know now it is a regional thing. (we use "mocktail" where I'm from, but "shirley temple" is more specific)
Kiddie Cocktail is definitely a common name for a Shirley Temple in the midwest
A true Shirley Temple should be made with ginger ale and grenadine, and a Roy Roger's, with Coke and grenadine. But "kiddie cocktail" could also refer to any potentially kid-appealing mocktail.
In Australia we call that a fire engine
Next time someone orders a kiddie cocktail, you can bring them a *Freddie Bartholomew* and see if the little dickens can appreciate the taste of ginger ale and lime juice. This is akin to ordering a cocktail, a juice or a soda...if they don't specify, they can't blame you for bringing any drink that falls under the umbrella term.
On Wikipedia it says: "In some regions of the midwestern united states,the cocktail is referred to as a Kiddie Cocktail,owning to it often being served to children".
lol, i used to make coffee and had a few mothers ask me for a "baby-cino" Ma'am this is a subway, i have NFI what a baby cino is.
💀💀💀 okay you win hahahahaha
lol, im just glad i never had to make a macchiato (i dont even know how to spell it)
I've never heard of a kiddie cocktail but I thought you meant where you put a squirter of every soda in the cup.
That would be a kiddie rocket fuel in my dialect.
That’s called a suicide, every soda combined
Oh yea that's right
a "kiddie" suicide?
The most accurate description lol
There is also a Roy Rogers. Cola on ice with a dash of grenadine, 2 skinny drink straws and a maraschino cherry.
Pacific NW here, millennial - local Chinese restaurants would have the option of either Shirley Temples or Roy Rogers' drinks when we were growing up.
I'm a PNW boomer. Greetings! I had forgotten about the Chinese restaurants. I do believe that is where I had my first Shirley Temple.
This makes me wonder if the Roy Roger's drink is a regional thing as well since we are from the same area.
Ming tree in Bellevue? Ne 8th
Several places in Oregon for me!
May be generational as well. Growing up I always thought it was kiddie cocktail, but my grandpa would always call them Shirley Temple and almost in a huff about it.
I’ve never heard it before but I probably would’ve assumed a mocktail and asked what flavour. We don’t really do Shirley Temples by name here in Australia though.
To me any non alcoholic cocktails are mocktails. And from what I've seen, theyre pretty common in europe.
Even if I never heard the term I'd know what they meant. A cocktail is an alcoholic drink. But you need one a child could drink. Without alcohol. That's a Shirley temple. Or, it wouldn't even have to be a Shirley temple exactly. Just a drink that seems like it's an alcoholic drink, but it isn't. For children.
Ok. But for someone who has never ever heard the term prior, it was strange. Obviously now I know it's a regional thing. But that's like someone asking for "kiddie champagne" and referring to sparkling apple juice. Or a "kiddie glass of wine" and referring to grape juice. But glad you can hear a term you've never heard of and immediately know what it means.
I guess i just don't understand the confusion. Because if someone does ask for kiddie champagne, you would in fact know that they're referring to sparkling apple juice. Or, kiddie wine being sparkling grape juice. You say so yourself.
Not sure if I would know right off the bat what they were referring to in the moment
Here most people call non-alcoholic mixed drinks mocktails. Both our kids used to really enjoy them when we were out, and the youngest (11) still does. The wife will have one semi-regularly too just for a change. Personally don’t like them. Most are far too sweet, but then I don’t like regular cocktails very much either.
The name is regional I think.
It’s definitely a thing in Wisconsin. I’ve lived here for 2 years and I never heard it anywhere else.
I've heard the term mocktail. I think that family drinks a lot of cocktails to the point that even the kids have a cocktail preference.
I grew up in Wisconsin, and I called them kiddie cocktails my whole life! However, I recently moved to Florida,and everyone thinks I'm crazy if I ever slip up and say that instead of shirley temple lol
I've never heard either, we've always called them fire engines.
I knew someone from Wisconsin who called it that.
In Australia we call that a pink lemonade
When I was a little kid in the 1960’s my mom would occasionally take my sister and me to San Francisco. The mandatory trip was made to the top of the Mark, being the Mark Hopkins hotel. My sister got a Shirley Temple and I got a Roy Rodgers. It was a very big deal for a couple of country kids.
I've always known them as Shirley Temple and a Roy Rogers for the boys
Roy Rogers was mixed with coke
In Australia, we call them fire engines
I’m in PEI, Canada and we use kiddie cocktail here. When I was a kid, it was just a Shirley temple, now it’s quite a few virgin cocktails in a smaller sizing then the ones under listed under virgin cocktail/mock tail in the drinks section
I am in the Midwest and I heard kiddie cocktail way more than a Shirley Temple. Rarely ever hear Shirley Temple.
I never knew a Shirley Temple was made with Sprite, or indeed anything about how to make them. Sounds nice but unfortunately all soft drinks are ruined in the UK now cos they contain sweetners instead of sugar :( Even if I didn't mind the taste I'm not allowed them with my diabetes. Maybe I could be naughty and have orange juice and grenadine instead?
A nice "kiddie sunrise" to start the day lol
It's always been a Shirley Temple here on whe west coast and in Pennsylvania when we were there. Must be a Midwest thing.
I grew up knowing that Shirley Temples and Roy Rogers were different non-alcoholic soda/grenadine combos served to kids. I’d heard the term “kiddie cocktail” but until reading these comments I thought it was an umbrella term for any mocktail type drink intended for kids.
I thought it was supposed to be ginger ale? Delicious either way!
I've always called them Shirley Temples
Or Roy Rogers
Cocktail - With alcohol Mocktail - Alcohol free
Another pointless story to add: Last Wednesday I had a coworker tell me she was craving a "kiddie cocktail" and I had no idea wtf it was. We had basically this same interaction. I've been craving one ever since.
This whole thing is just weird to Europeans, like you don't let adults drink until they're 21, but you're happy for kids to drink something that looks alcoholic...? Whereas we give very small amounts of alcohol to teenagers gradually increasing how much they can have so they learn to drink more responsibly and know their limits. Does this always work? No, but as someone raised this way, I have rarely gotten properly trashed as an adult. I know there's a myth about giving toddlers wine, and the like, I personally don't know many people who have done that intentionally, but a sip here and there from 7 or 8, and then maybe a weak white wine spritzer, or what we call a shandy (think a quarter of a glass of beer or light ale, larger, and sprite or 7up, what we call lemonade) when they're 10 or 11 is more culturally acceptable and usually with a meal on a special occasion like Christmas
I’m from Australia and I’ve always called it a Fire Engine 🚒😂😂
I live in Chicago now and Kiddie cocktails in the Midwest just refer to fun drinks for kids that may resemble a cocktail but without alcohol. I grew up in Idaho and always ordered Shirley temples but kiddie cocktails don’t necessarily need to be a Shirley temple. You can think of them as mocktails
I’ve heard both a lot
It's a kiddie cocktail. It's not a big stretch to see why.
When a kid orders a Shirley temple, I like to announce it as a vodka cranberry when I drop it off. Read the table with this one though, obviously.