Roy Rogers
Last year for April Fool’s Day I made my first mocktail, the Shirley Temple. Since April Fool’s is tomorrow I thought I’d repeat the tradition and bring you another classic mocktail: the Roy Rogers.
In case you don’t know, a mocktail is a cocktail lacking a certain important ingredient: alcohol. Instead of liquor, the drink usually consists of a mixture of soda (club, Coke or Sprite) and juice. It’s usually served over ice with a piece of fruit as garnish. That garnish makes it fancy enough for the kids, who usually enjoy these drinks, to feel like one of the grownups. I know it’s why I always ordered a Shirley Temple when I went out with my parents.
Although there isn’t any alcohol, these drinks are pretty tasty. As a matter of fact they’re so good that oft times these mocktails are what people will order when they’re the designated driver. I know because that’s what I’ve done. As a matter of fact I did it the whole time I was pregnant. Actually both times I was pregnant. Yes, I missed the taste of alcohol, but I was never disappointed with the drink. I really enjoyed them. Similar to the Shirley Temple, the Roy Rogers has only three ingredients: soda, Grenadine and a maraschino cherry. The only difference between the Shirley Temple and the Roy Rogers is the soda that’s used. See, it’s Sprite in the Temple, but Coca-cola in the Rogers.
While no one’s sure when the Rogers was created everyone’s pretty sure they know why. See, the Shirley Temple came first which is great for any little girl out there. But I don’t know many boys who would be thrilled ordering a soft drink named after a girl. I know my boys wouldn’t, hence the Roy Rogers was created. Of course you couldn’t just rename the Shirley Temple otherwise people would get confused. No, if you were going to change the name you had to change the drink. So, if you can’t use Sprite or 7-Up, the next best thing is Coke. Roy Rogers was picked for the drink’s moniker because he was a famous cowboy and country music singer alive the same time as Shirley Temple. With his trusty horse, Trigger, by his side, Rogers conquered movies, music and television. He was someone all young boys looked up to at the time, so naming a drink after him made perfect sense. And now… any time a little boy wants to feel special while he’s out to dinner with his parents, there’s a drink just for him.
But you don’t need to be under the age of 12 to enjoy this classic mocktail. You could be an adult or the designated driver too. Sure, I prefer a Rum and Coke to a Roy Rogers, but every so often even I can’t turn down the flavor of the classic Rogers.
Roy Rogers
Ingredients:
- 6 ounces Coke
- 1-2 teaspoons Grenadine
- 1-2 Maraschino cherries
Directions:
- Fill a high ball glass with ice. Add the Coke and Grenadine. Garnish with the cherries and serve with a straw.
