shirley temple black

2 oz Old Overholt Rye
1/2 oz Maurin Quina
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup
1 dash Lemon Juice

Shake in a pint glass with ice. Add 2 oz Barritt's Ginger Beer and gently stir. Top with ice, garnish with two cherries, and add a straw.

Two Thursdays ago after attending Stephanie Schorow's book launch party for Drinking Boston at Doyle's Cafe, I made my way back to Downtown Crossing. For a first stop, I visited Silvertone. As I scanned the menu, the Shirley Temple Black caught my attention, not for it being an adult version of a childhood drink, but for its use of Maurin Quina. The original Shirley Temple was created in the 1930s and named after the famous child actress; it contains ginger ale, grenadine for color, sometimes citrus juice, and a cherry garnish. My order for the drink was given a quizzical look; yes, I was ordering a slightly chick drink, but Maurin Quina is delicious enough to overlook such distinctions.
The brandied cherry garnish contributed greatly to the Shirley Temple Black's aroma. A somewhat syrupy sip was mitigated by the carbonation mixing with the sharper notes of the ginger and lemon. Finally, the swallow presented the rye, ginger, and Maurin's cherry. Afterwards, I made the bartender smile with my order of a High Life for my next round.