Cinderella
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 0.3% ABV ∙
The Cinderella is a non-alcoholic highball of orange, pineapple, and lemon juice topped with soda water and a touch of grenadine. Tart citrus leads over a rounder pineapple sweetness, with a faint grenadine blush and soda fizz lightening the finish — a bright daytime sipper.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake the first 5 ingredients with ice: Orange juice 60 mlPineapple juice 45 mlLemon juice 25 mlGrenadine syrup 5 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 3 dashes
- Strain into the ice-filled glass
- Top with Soda water
- Garnish with a lemon slice
Tips
- Shake the orange, pineapple, and lemon juices with grenadine and bitters over ice, then strain into ice to keep the soda water's fizz intact.
- Add the soda water last, pouring gently down the side of the glass so the carbonation isn't beaten out during shaking or stirring.
- Cut the lemon slice thin and perch it on the rim rather than dropping it in, so its oils don't overpower the light citrus mix.
History
The Cinderella is a classic alcohol-free mixed drink of pineapple, orange and lemon juice with a dash of grenadine, part of the American soda-fountain tradition of the mid-20th century, when soda jerks composed fruit-juice drinks with the care given to cocktails. Unlike many mocktails it was conceived alcohol-free from the start rather than as a virgin version of a spirit drink, and its whimsical name predates the 1950 Disney film, following a long habit of giving such drinks storybook names.
FAQ
What's in a Cinderella?
Orange juice, pineapple juice, and lemon juice shaken with grenadine syrup, topped with soda water and finished with a few dashes of Angostura bitters. It is shaken, served in a highball glass over ice, and garnished with a lemon slice.
How do you make a Cinderella drink?
Shake the orange, pineapple, and lemon juice with the grenadine and bitters, then strain into a highball glass and top with soda water. Garnish with a lemon slice and serve immediately so the soda stays lively.
Is a Cinderella shaken or stirred?
Shaken. The juices need the aeration and quick chill of a shake before the soda water is added on top; stirring would leave the mix underchilled and separated.
What glass is a Cinderella served in?
A highball glass, filled with ice and garnished with a lemon slice.
Why is it called a Cinderella mocktail?
The name plays on Cinderella leaving the ball at midnight before the drinking starts — a sweet, juice-based drink for anyone skipping alcohol. It has become a stock name for fruity non-alcoholic cocktails at parties and weddings rather than one fixed recipe.
Is a Cinderella cocktail alcoholic?
No, it is entirely non-alcoholic, built from orange, pineapple, and lemon juice with grenadine, bitters, and soda water. It comes in at about 73 calories per serving and is vegan, vegetarian, and lactose-free.