The Roy Rogers is likely the second most famous mocktail in the world, after the Shirley Temple.
Some say the drink was created especially for the Western actor/singer Roy Rogers, who did not drink. Others claim it was an already popular standard soda shop item. The name was just changed to Roy Rogers so little boys could have their own “manly” mocktail while their sisters were sipping pink Shirley Temples.
My grandfather belonged to the second school of thought. A young Irish man with white skin, black hair, devilish green eyes, and a smile of barely suppressed mirth. He worked as a soda jerk at the then-classiest place in Charlotte, NC – The Hotel Charlotte.
In the 30s and 40s, soda jerks did more than serve fizzy drinks and ice cream. They were entertainers, charming the customers, bantering with the other soda jerks, and creating their own amusing, slightly naughty lingo for items. “One short roll in the hay!” (A small strawberry milkshake.) “Shoot one, stretch it, and paint it red!” (Add cherry syrup or grenadine.) “Spit at it!” (Top with raspberries.) “Make it virtue!” (Add a cherry.)
Young women (and some older ones) would dress in their Sunday best to take the bus uptown to the posh hotel, then line up for one of Joe’s sodas or milkshakes. An extra cherry was thought to be a sign of Joe’s favor, and would cause much squealing. Rumor has it Joe once broke up with a girl by giving her no cherry at all! Oh, the soda shop scandals in small upstart banking towns!
Years later, I cornered Joe (known to me as Paw Paw). “Is that true?”
Paw Paw winked. “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.”
Back to the mocktail – The drink in question was commonly called a Cherry Coke. It was indeed made with Coke – and ONLY Coca-Cola. Pepsi just wouldn’t do – even if Pepsi was “born in the Carolinas.” But the red syrup was grenadine, made from pomegranates, not cherries. Grenadine usually just adds color and sweetness, but here it brings out the vanilla undertones in Coke. As a finishing touch, one (or more!) cherries were dropped in. It turns out tasting like the best vanilla cherry Coke ever – and waaay better than from a can!
Paw Paw’s “Roy Rogers” Mocktail Recipe
Shoot it. Fill a glass with well-chilled Coca Cola.
Add Some Hail – Add ice to your liking. Do you prefer your drinks heavy on the hail (with lots of ice) or do you prefer just a little bit of sleet?
Paint It Red – Add 1/2 oz. (1 tablespoon) grenadine. Alternately, you can add the grenadine first and then the Coke. It really makes no difference.
Give It Some Virtue – Add a cherry. (If using maraschino cherries, check the coloring agent – vegans will want to avoid carmine and cochineal extract.)
It was cool to have a Paw Paw who could make fancy fizzy drinks and ice cream treats!
My sister tried, but never quite caught on to the lingo. Instead of “White Cow and throw some spit on it,” she’d say, “I’d like a vanilla milkshake and please spit in it.” So I obligingly did.
I did better with the lingo than she, although sometimes with unintended consequences. Everyone burst out laughing when I called my grandmother an “87 and a half.” I had correctly surmised it meant an attractive woman, but missed the underlying naughty nuance. So I basically called my grandmother “one smokin’ hot mama.”
And there were always a few smiles when I, a vertically challenged six-year-old, determinedly climbed onto one of the tall kitchen barstools and placed my standing order. “Pull it, stretch it, lots of hail, paint it red, and give it LOTS of virtue!”
To Complete Your Experience
Visit the 13-story Hotel Charlotte at Trade and Poplar in Charlotte, NC’s uptown area. Oh, wait, you can’t. We imploded the hotel in 1988. We don’t like history here.
Visit the Hotel Charlotte restaurant, which reused many of the original pieces from the original hotel, including the doors, bar, phone booth, some of the tables and booths – Memorabilia everywhere! Oh, wait, you can’t. It’s now Leroy Fox and very few Hotel Charlotte items remain. We don’t like history here.
Visit The World of Coca-Cola Museum in Atlanta. Surprisingly fun and interesting with many different exhibits and tasting stations. Most of the products are vegan friendly and the ones which are not are noted. AND they have a section dedicated to soda jerks, like Paw Paw!
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