The Best Vodka To Use In A Dirty Shirley

You've probably heard the phrase, "Adults ruin everything." It's mostly true when it comes to sports. As Reddit users point out, we yell at referees during youth sports and sometimes even yell at other people's kids. But sometimes, adults can improve things, at least for other adults.

Enter the Dirty Shirley. What's a Dirty Shirley? This adult beverage is a riff on the nonalcoholic drink affectionately known as the Shirley Temple which, per Liquor.com, is probably the "most famous" mocktail on the face of the planet. In its purest form, it consists of ginger ale, grenadine, and maraschino cherries. But when you spike it with a little vodka, you've got yourself a Dirty Shirley.

The cocktail has become quite popular and Better Homes & Gardens has even labeled it the "drink of the summer." The publication might be right. In fact, if you do a little sleuthing, you will find "Dirty Shirley" currently has 20.4 million views on TikTok. One TikTok user spoke for the rest of us, writing, "My go to drink! It's like reliving my childhood but adding alcohol." But if you are going to jump on this bandwagon, you may be wondering which brand of vodka is best to use whether you order one or make this drink yourself.

The internet has yet to crown a brand of vodka as the "it" vodka for making a Dirty Shirley, so the jury is still out. However, if you are looking for a premium brand to use when making this drink for your friends or family, there are a few different options you might want to try. According to Belly Full and Culinary Hill, a cherry-flavored vodka like Smirnoff is a great choice.

However, many Reddit users have made Tito's Handmade Vodka their preferred vodka of choice for this cocktail. One commenter offered, "I dont drink much vodka but whenever I prepare Shirley Temples it's a simple Sprite with few splashes of grenadine and your choice of vodka, unflavored, with a couple cherries plopped in. People seem to enjoy Tito's a good deal."

But, Burrata and Bubbles offers this sage advice: Stick to a vodka that is within your budget. If you can afford a Grey Goose or Belvedere, go for it, but the blog notes that Absolut and Tito's can serve as a nice go-to as well. Whichever vodka you choose, you can't go wrong with this refreshing sip!