Craving something different to drink tonight with your children at supper? Try making a Roy Rogers drink. It's non-alcoholic, plus it's super simple. It's a perfect recipe to make with your children, as it only takes 4 ingredients. Trust me, the kid in you will love it just as much as your children will.
If you love drinks for kids, make sure to check out our Shirley Temple recipe, our mint julep mocktail, and our Arnold Palmer drink.
About
Roy Rogers was a famous American actor and singer who was filmed in over 100 movies, mostly Westerns made in the 1940's. He is known as the King of the Cowboys. This drink is named after him. No one really knows the complete history behind this drink, but since he didn't drink alcohol, it seems fitting that this beverage be named after him.
This beverage became popular on restaurant menus across the U.S. in the 1950's along with the Shirley Temple. Back then parents would order a Roy Rogers for their sons and a Shirley Temple for their daughters. These two beverages were the original 'mocktails.'
Ingredients
Gather the ingredients: original Coca Cola, ice cubes, grenadine, and maraschino cherries with a stem. If you're feeling nostalgic, buy the cola that comes in the retro glass bottles. If you do, you'll also need to use a bottle opener, so make sure you have one on hand.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make
- Fill a 15-ounce highball glass three-quarters full of ice cubes. I put in 15 ice cubes.
- Slowly pour the Coca-Cola over the ice. (It will start to fizz a lot if you pour too quickly.) Pour in the grenadine syrup.
3. Use a long handled spoon and stir to make sure it's mixed well.
4. Add a maraschino cherry with a stem as your garnish. This drink is so easy to make, let your child have the fun of making it themselves. To quote Roy Roger himself, "Until we meet again, may the good Lord take a liking to you."
Recipe FAQs
Let's start by talking about their similarities. They both are made in a highball glass with ice, have grenadine syrup, and are garnished with a maraschino cherry. The differences are in the kind of soda used. Shirley Temple uses a lemon lime soda or ginger ale, and a Roy Rogers uses cola. Shirley Temples can also have orange juice in them, and can also be garnished with an orange wedge, wheel, or curl.
Roy Rogers have a sweet and salty taste. Coca Cola by itself has a lot of salt, so naturally it would taste a bit salty. If you aren't a fan of Coca Cola, you might like a Roy Rogers since the grenadine syrup will make this beverage taste sweet.
Many people think it tastes similar to a cherry coke. Maybe you have tried a Coca-Cola Cherry, Pepsi Wild Cherry, or Cherry RC and like that taste. If you do, you'll love this. The funny thing about a Roy Rogers is there is no cherry juice in it, only grenadine.
It consists of two ingredients: Coca Cola and grenadine. This drink is often served over ice and garnished with a maraschino cherry.
The male version of a Shirley Temple is a Roy Rogers drink.
Serve
If you're looking for other beverages the whole family will love, you'll want to try our recipes for mint julep, strawberry mocktail, and lime and mint drink.
Expert Tips
- Allergic to red food dye? Make your own grenadine syrup. It takes pomegranate juice, sugar, lemon juice, and orange blossom or rose water.
- Need to avoid caffeine? Use caffeine free Coca-Cola.
- Don't use diet Coke; it tastes better with original Coke.
- Making this for a lot of kids? Buy the cheap cherries in a jar, so they can all snack on more than one.
- Don't pour the Coke to fast over the ice, or it will fizz up and overflow.
- Measure everything to have a consistently great-tasting drink.
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Recipe
Roy Rogers Drink
Ingredients
- 15 ice cubes
- 8 ounces Coca-Cola
- 2 tablespoons grenadine
- 1 maraschino cherry with stem
Instructions
- Fill a 15-ounce highball glass ¾ of the way full of ice cubes. This is approximately 15 ice cubes.
- Slowly pour the Coke over the ice. You may need to stop pouring if the fizz gets too high in the glass. If this happens, just wait until the fizz settles down, and resume pouring until all 8 fluid ounces are in the glass.
- Pour two tablespoons of grenadine into the drink and slowly stir the grenadine into the cola with a long-handled metal spoon. If you stir to quickly, you'll create more fizz and could have a spill. Stir for 30 seconds to make sure it's all mixed together.
- Select a pretty maraschino cherry with a long stem to place on top of the drink. Insert a fun paper straw. Serve immediately to prevent the ice cubes from melting and diluting the drink.
Notes
- If you are allergic to red food dye, make your own grenadine syrup. Ingredients are pomegranate juice, sugar, lemon juice, and orange blossom or rose water.
- If you are limiting your caffine, use caffeine free Coca-Cola.
- This tastes better with original Coke, so forget the Diet kind.
- Buy the cheap cherries in a jar, so the kids can all snack on more than one.
- To have a consistently great-tasting drink, measure everything.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Alex
The Coca Cola and the grenadine blend nicely. I enjoy the soft maraschino cherry.
Emma
The cherry on top is one of my favorite parts!
Beth
Fruity Grenadine combined with classic Coke makes the timeless Roy Rogers. The cherry and ice are an inseparable part part of this delicious drink.
Emma
I'm glad that you enjoyed the Roy Rogers, Beth! Coke and grenadine is a tasty combination.