At the time, it was all the rage to name cocktails after premiering shows, and the Manhattan had recently been invented to great acclaim, so it all makes sense. Down the way from the theater sat New York’s Waldorf Astoria hotel, where it is said the Rob Roy cocktail originated. One such work was an operetta called Rob Roy, written by Henry Louis Reginald De Koven (who'd previously written an operetta named Robin Hood sensing a pattern?), that debuted on Broadway in 1894. He was a Scottish folk hero, often referred to as the Scottish Robin Hood, and his escapades inspired a number of fictionalized works about his life.

The Roy Rodgers drink is about as 1950’s soda fountain mocktail as you can get! (Of course, the word mocktail wasn’t even invented back then.Rob Roy was a real man, a Scottsman born in 1671 whose job titles included rebellion leader, cattle thief, outlaw, and bandit. You can get the best bright red color and flavor with pomegranate seeds. Or, make homemade grenadine! It’s easy to make at home, and comes out beautifully.This shouldn’t be an issue with the Roy Rodgers drink, since it’s dark in color. Keep in mind: it doesn’t have as bright of a red color as the artificial kind. Look for an all natural grenadine at your local liquor store.Many syrups these days have artificial colors and sugars, so it’s nice to look for an all natural brand if you can. Many people think grenadine is cherry flavored: but it’s actually made with pomegranate! Grenadine is a red bar syrup named for pomegranate in French ( grenade). Grenadine: find a quality brand or try homemade Want to step it up even more? If you’re ok with a hint of alcohol, add a few shakes of cocktail bitters! It gives a nuanced herbal flavor to the finish, which is AOK in our book. This makes the flavor more nuanced and interesting, with a more subtle sweetness. Step it up: top off with soda water! How to make an even better Roy Rodgers? Top it off with soda water, aka club soda.Balance out all the sweetness with a little acidity! A lemon wedge adds brightness here.

Make sure to stir well, otherwise you’ll have a massively sweet first sip.

Add ½ ounce grenadine to 6 ounces cola and stir.

Here’s how to make a Roy Rodgers, and then add a few tweaks to make it more balanced for adult tastes: This goes over well with the kiddos, of course! But if you’re an adult looking for a great mocktail, it’s a bit too saccharine. How to make the Roy Rodgers drink…and step it upīecause it’s built on cola, the Roy Rodgers drink is very sweet.

Grenadine, a pomegranate flavored bar syrup.

(Some say it was the “boy version,” but we prefer not to gender drinks around here!) To make a Roy Rodgers, you’ll need:

It was popular throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s as the companion drink to the Shirley Temple. It’s likely it was invented in the 1940’s, possibly named as such because Roy Rodgers himself didn’t drink alcohol. The history behind the Roy Rodgers drink is a bit murky. The drink was named after Roy Rodgers, the 1940’s and 50’s movie star and singer famous for portraying cowboys in Westerns (he’s the man behind the song “Happy Trails”). It’s similar to a Shirley Temple, but uses cola instead of ginger ale or lemon lime soda. The Roy Rodgers drink is a non-alcoholic mocktail made with cola and grenadine. While it might be known as a kiddie cocktail, you can drink a Roy Rodgers at any age! Here we’ve got the classic recipe, and a few tricks to make it a little more palatable for adults (read: less sweet). Looking for a classic mocktail to impress? Try the Roy Rodgers, a non-alcoholic cocktail starring cola and grenadine! This drink was born in the soda fountain days, a companion to the even more popular Shirley Temple. The Roy Rodgers drink is a classic mocktail made with cola and grenadine! Here’s how to make it, and a few ways to step it up. This post may include affiliate links for details, see our disclosure policy.

Roy rogers drink taste